Secondary school students: April 20, 2026, is the deadline for the 5th GoChile Summer School of Astronomy

by Piyush Mathur

If you are a secondary school student (or enrolled in a vocational training programme corresponding to that level) and interested in astronomy, then you should consider applying for one of the 16 seats available at the 5th GoChile Summer School of Astronomy!

Open to pre-college students from around the world, this competition has the application deadline of April 20, 2026. The form to fill out is not complicated—and if you can show a passion for astronomy, preferably backed by your skills set and some prior experience, then you just might win your way into the coveted cohort of 16!

This summer school will take place in the Slovenian town of Ajdovščina through July 11-18, 2026; it is organised by the University of Nova Gorica in association with the Ljubljana-based Zavod Cosmolab.

The selected candidates will be able to use the remote-controlled GoChile telescope toward specific astronomical observations—under the guidance and training provided by the following experts: Andreja Gomboc, Tanja Petrushevska, Andrej Guštin, and Eduardo Concepcion Castro.

The entire week will be filled with education in cutting-edge astronomical theoretical inputs and techniques (including the usage of Artificial Intelligence).

Applicants are required to know only basic English; the core consideration for their selection is their potential to be dedicated astronomers in the future. (There is one catch: The selected candidates will have to cover the travel and visa costs. However, food and accommodation will be provided by the university.)

Here is the link to the application form:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfrwPsTqwes1q_yR9w5lhD_UNGK623Q5aqPMwl9PxjiUtP3uA/viewform

You can check out the official description for this incredible opportunity below:

https://ung.si/en/news/news/7054/5th-gochile-summer-school-of-astronomy/

All the best!