Astronomy programs for high school students offer structured opportunities to explore how scientists study the universe. These programs often combine theoretical learning with hands-on experiences such as telescope observations, data analysis, and computational modeling. Depending on the format, you may work with astronomical datasets, learn observational techniques, or explore topics like planetary science, cosmology, and stellar evolution.
If you are specifically searching for astronomy programs for high school students in Ohio, you’ll find options that range from observatory-based learning experiences to university-led research initiatives. Many astronomy programs for high school students in Ohio also incorporate interdisciplinary skills such as coding, physics modeling, and scientific communication.
Why should you choose a program in Ohio?
Ohio offers strong opportunities for students interested in astronomy due to its research universities, observatories, and STEM outreach programs. Several institutions across Ohio host astronomy programs for high school students, giving you exposure to active research environments, telescope facilities, and computational tools used in astrophysics. You’ll also find programs that connect astronomy with related disciplines such as physics, engineering, and computer science. This interdisciplinary exposure reflects how astronomy is studied in professional research settings.
Below is a curated list of 15 astronomy programs for high school students in Ohio. If you are also exploring broader opportunities, you can check out our guides on astronomy programs for high school students here and summer research programs for high school students here.
15 Astronomy Programs for High School Students in Ohio
1. John Glenn Astronomy Park
Location: Hocking Hills State Park, Logan, Ohio
Cost: Free
Dates: March through late November
Application Deadline: No application required
Eligibility: Open to all ages | High school students can apply
John Glenn Astronomy Park is located within Hocking Hills State Park, and programs run on clear Friday and Saturday evenings from March through late November. Topics across the current season include planetary viewing, the Orion Nebula, galaxy season in spring, the surface of the Moon and the Apollo landing sites, Hubble’s legacy, the summer solstice and how cultures have tracked the sun’s movement, and the mythology and science behind constellations like Hercules, Boötes, and the two celestial bears. The plaza itself is designed with equinox and solstice alignment windows, so on certain dates, the sun’s position marks the changing seasons, connecting astronomy to architectural history.
2. Ohio Supercomputer Center’s STEM Institute (SI)
Location: Ohio Supercomputer Center, Columbus, Ohio
Cost: $600
Dates: May 31–June 12
Application Deadline: April 1
Eligibility: Ohio residents currently in their freshman, sophomore, or junior year of high school
The Ohio Supercomputer Center’s STEM Institute is a two-week residential program at OSC’s Columbus campus, where high school students work in small teams on research-level projects using real supercomputing resources. The program combines hands-on project work with lectures, facility tours, and evening recreational activities on Ohio State’s campus. One of the current projects, Comet Hunting, has a direct focus on astronomy. It uses image data from the SOHO spacecraft, a joint NASA-European Space Agency mission, to develop MATLAB algorithms that automatically scan solar corona images for potential comets. You’ll load raw SOHO images, process them to isolate bright spots, compare images to track moving objects, and produce an output showing flagged comet candidates. Other projects include penetration testing and cybersecurity, machine learning applied to movie review sentiment, web app development for OSC’s OnDemand platform, and protein folding using AlphaFold.
3. Ward Beecher Planetarium High School Programs
Location: Youngstown State University, Youngstown, Ohio
Cost: Free
Dates: Public shows offered throughout the year; school group programs available by reservation
Application Deadline: No application required for public shows
Eligibility: Grades 9–12 and adults
The Ward Beecher Planetarium at Youngstown State University offers a dedicated lineup of full-dome planetarium shows designed for high school students and adults, all aligned with Ohio Science Standards. Every program includes a live segment on star and constellation identification. The high school program lineup covers a broad range of astronomy topics. For instance, Bad Astronomy: Myths and Misconceptions uses Phil Plait’s work to examine pseudoscience, conspiracy theories, and how to use scientific thinking to evaluate questionable claims. Black Holes: The Other Side of Infinity, supported by NASA and the National Science Foundation, covers star birth and death, galaxy collisions, and a simulated journey to a supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way. Ohio Science Standards materials and educator guides are available for each program. You can find more details about the programs here.
4. Perkins Observatory Public Programs
Location: Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, Ohio
Cost: $10 per ticket | $12 if purchased on the day of the program
Dates: Regular public programs on select dates throughout the year
Application Deadline: No application required
Eligibility: Open to all ages, including high school students
Perkins Observatory at Ohio Wesleyan University is an active research and educational facility used by OWU’s Physics and Astronomy Department. Programs are offered on select dates during the day and at night, and all involve viewing through the observatory’s telescopes, weather permitting. You’ll gain exposure to observational astronomy techniques, including telescope operation, celestial navigation, and identifying deep-sky objects. Some sessions also include demonstrations and guided discussions on current astronomical events or seasonal sky changes. The observatory is currently operating at a capacity of 20 guests per program while maintenance work is ongoing. You can find more details about the program schedule here.
5. OSU Department of Astronomy In-School and Library Programs
Location: Visits to schools and libraries across Ohio
Cost: Free
Dates: Available throughout the year
Application Deadline: No deadline | Request a visit through the department
Eligibility: Open to all ages | Programs are tailored to the audience
The Ohio State University Department of Astronomy offers outreach visits to classrooms, libraries, and community groups across Ohio, bringing the department’s expertise directly to you. Programs can be customized to include talks on the latest astronomy news, in-depth discussions on faculty areas of expertise, hands-on demonstrations, activities for all ages, and complete classroom lessons designed around Ohio state curriculum standards. The department also brings telescopes to selected visits. To arrange a program for your school or group, you can submit a visit request through the department. You can find more details and request a visit here.
6. REACH Online
Location: Online
Cost: To be announced
Dates: To be announced
Application Deadline: To be announced
Eligibility: High school students
REACH Online from Northwestern University’s Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA) is a five-week, self-paced course that is designed at the intersection of coding and space science. The backbone of the course is REACHpy, a Python tutorial built by CIERA specifically for this program. You’ll use it to work through fundamental astronomical problems, picking up coding skills as you go. The format mixes recorded video instruction, discussion boards, and collaborative community-building with live Zoom office hours where CIERA facilitators and teaching assistants are available for questions and feedback. There’s also an Astronomy 101 lecture series led by experts, and mini-projects that let you apply what you’ve been learning to actual astronomical concepts.
7. USA Astronomy and Astrophysics Organization (USAAAO)
Location: Online
Cost: $30
Dates: February 9 (First Round Exam)
Application Deadline: January 31
Eligibility: All high school students | US citizenship or permanent residency required for national team selection
High school students with a strong interest in astronomy and astrophysics can pursue direct pathways to international competition through the USAAAO. The program selects and trains the US team for the International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA), and the entry point is a first-round exam that any high school student in the country can take. The exam is taken online, proctored by a teacher at your school. Those who score above the cutoff move on to the National Astronomy Competition (NAC), where a written exam covering a wide range of astronomy and astrophysics topics is hosted. Top scorers from the NAC are then invited into an online training program led by past IOAA participants and professional astronomers, with weekly sessions that include readings, assignments, and guided discussions. The five highest-scoring students from the final round earn a spot on Team USA and represent the country at the IOAA.
8. International Astronomy and Astrophysics Competition (IAAC)
Location: Online
Cost: Free for Qualification Round | 13 EUR registration fee for Pre-Final Round
Dates: Qualification Round deadline: April 17 | Pre-Final Round: May 29 to June 2
Application Deadline: April 17 (Qualification Round)
Eligibility: Current high school students worldwide | Divided into Junior: 10th grade and below, under 16; Youth: 11th–13th grade, under 19; Senior: 1st year college and above, or 19+ age groups
IAAC is a fully online, three-round competition that has drawn over 40,000 participants from more than 120 countries since its launch. The first stage is the Qualification Round, which consists of five astronomy problems spanning a range of topics and difficulty levels, some knowledge-based, others calculation-heavy. Students who score above the threshold for their age group advance to the Pre-Final Round, which involves six more challenging problems. Finalists from that stage then take a 20-question multiple-choice exam for the Final Round, which can be supervised by a teacher at your school or self-recorded and uploaded if no teacher is available. Top performers in the Final Round win awards worth up to $2,500 USD, including cash prizes and telescopes signed by Nobel Prize laureates and astronaut Frank De Winne.
9. Yale Summer Program in Astrophysics (YSPA)
Location: Online, then residential at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
Cost: $7,800 | Financial aid available
Dates: Online phase: June 22–July 3 | Residential phase: July 5–August 2
Application Deadline: March 6
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors, current 11th graders | Must be 15.5 years or older by July 5
The Yale Summer Program in Astrophysics accepts 32 students each year and runs in two phases: a two-week online self-study period followed by four weeks in residence at Yale’s campus. The online phase begins with Python programming basics and foundational observational astronomy. It’s self-directed, but YSPA faculty also hold online discussion sections and are available to help. Once you arrive at Yale, you’ll spend your time in the Leitner Digital Planetarium Theater covering material like stellar astrophysics, spectroscopy, telescope optics, stellar evolution, numerical simulations, and machine learning for data mining. In the observatory computer lab, you’ll work with your research team using professional tools like AstroimageJ, AstroPy, and MESA to analyze real data. Each student works on an individual research project, and by the program’s end, you’ll have written a scientific paper and presented your findings at the YSPA mini-conference.
10. GMU Young Scholars — NASA Data Science Analysis and Research Paper Program
Location: Online
Cost: Paid program (exact fee not specified)
Dates: June 13–August 29
Application Deadline: Rolling | Limited to 50 students on a first-come, first-served basis
Eligibility: High school students
The Young Scholars NASA Data Science Analysis and Research Paper Program is a three-month virtual experience where you’ll analyze actual data from the NASA TESS mission and the James Webb Space Telescope, then write a scholarly paper based on your findings. You’ll be assigned a unique exoplanet candidate from the TESS mission’s catalog and work through the statistical analysis needed to determine whether it’s a genuine planet or a false positive signal. The primary instructor is a Principal Investigator on the official NASA TESS Follow-Up Observing Program, so the research context is entirely authentic. Advanced participants can also optionally analyze JWST spectroscopy data to explore the atmospheric properties of confirmed exoplanets. A conference day is also held, which gives selected students the chance to present their work, with scholarships and awards of up to $2,000 available for outstanding research.
11. Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP)
Location: Remote
Cost: $1,299 | Fee waivers available
Dates: June 18–August 12
Application Deadline: February 15
Eligibility: High school students 16 years and older
George Mason University’s Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program is a nationally recognized, eight-week, full-time research internship that pairs high school and undergraduate students one-on-one with faculty researchers working across a wide range of scientific disciplines. Astronomy is explicitly among the areas of focus alongside exoplanet discovery, solar space weather, planetary atmospheres, and more. Over the eight weeks, you’ll work directly with your assigned mentor on an original, hypothesis-driven research project using real tools and data. The program also builds scientific writing and communication skills, with some intern research ending up published in journals or presented at conferences.
12. NSS Gerard K. O’Neill Space Settlement Contest
Location: Online
Cost: $15 entry fee
Dates: Submissions open annually in December
Application Deadline: February 15
Eligibility: Students up to grade 12
The NSS Gerard K. O’Neill Space Settlement Contest invites students to design a concept for a free-orbiting space settlement. You can enter individually or as part of a team of up to 12 people. The contest accepts designs, research papers, essays, stories, artwork, models, or any creative work that seriously engages with the science and logistics of space habitation. The only firm rule is that the settlement must be a permanent home, not a temporary work camp, and the concept must exist in free space. The grand prize goes to the single best entry, and there are also separate $500 scholarships for the top Artistic Merit and Literary Merit submissions. Winners are often invited to present at the International Space Development Conference, where they share the floor with professionals from industry, government, and academia working on real space ventures.
13. Pulsar Science Collaboratory (PSC)
Location: Online
Cost: Free
Dates: Facilitated workshops run twice yearly, Spring and Fall | Self-paced access available year-round
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Students aged 13 and above
The Pulsar Science Collaboratory is a citizen science research program run through West Virginia University and the Green Bank Observatory, funded by the National Science Foundation. You’ll be trained in radio astronomy and then given access to real, unanalyzed data from the Green Bank Telescope. The program begins with a six-module online training course that you can complete in one of a few ways: live alongside a facilitated group through weekly Zoom sessions with actual pulsar scientists, self-paced on your own schedule with support via Discord, or through a teacher-led classroom experience. The training covers pulsar science, radio frequency interference, data analysis, and the evaluation of candidate signals by astronomers. Once you complete your training, you’ll move into the actual research phase, analyzing data and contributing observations to the broader scientific effort.
14. NASA International Space Apps Challenge
Location: Online
Cost: Free
Dates: Annual two-day hackathon, typically held in October
Application Deadline: Check the website for annual registration opening
Eligibility: Open to all ages, skill levels, and backgrounds worldwide
The NASA International Space Apps Challenge is one of the largest space science hackathons in the world, bringing together students, engineers, designers, coders, artists, and storytellers across the globe for a two-day challenge built entirely around NASA’s open data. You can participate either virtually or at a local in-person event, and unlike most competitive programs, there are no prerequisites. You’ll work in teams to build solutions using publicly available NASA datasets, then submit your work for judging at the end of the two-day window. Winning teams from local events advance to global judging, where NASA and its international space agency partners evaluate the top submissions. Past winning projects have included data visualizations, interactive apps, citizen science tools, and multimedia storytelling projects, not just code.
15. Stanford SPINWIP
Location: Online
Cost: Free
Dates: July 6–24
Application Deadline: May 1
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9–11 | Students from any gender are welcome | International students may apply | First-generation students and those from under-resourced backgrounds are especially encouraged
SPINWIP is a three-week virtual program hosted by Stanford University’s Physics Department and the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology. Classes are led by Stanford professors and researchers, with smaller group sessions run by Stanford undergraduates. You’ll work through topics including cosmology and dark matter, black holes, and exoplanet detection, including how astronomers find planets orbiting other stars and what we can figure out about them from the data. You’ll also learn Python from scratch, building up to writing code that handles numerical analysis and data visualization. There are also college-planning and career-development workshops built into the schedule, plus the chance to build genuine mentorship relationships with people already working in physics and astronomy.
One more option – Horizon Academic Research Program
If you’re looking for a competitive mentored research program in subjects like planetary science, astronomy, and celestial bodies, consider applying to Horizon’s Research Seminars and Labs! This is a selective virtual research program that lets you engage in advanced research and develop a research paper on a subject of your choosing. Horizon has worked with 1000+ high school students so far and offers 600+ research specializations for you to choose from. You can find the application link here!
Image Source – George Mason University