The competition attracted significant interest of Polish high school students, one-fifth of applications were from Poland - announced the Polish Astronomical Society that organized national competition together with partners.

PAP - Science and Scholarship in Poland was the media sponsor of the competition. The competition also had financial support of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education.

ESO Astronomy Camp 2014 is an international astronomical camp for young people aged 16-18 years, which will be held on 26 December 2014 - 1 January 2015 at the Astronomical Observatory of Aosta Valley in Saint-Barthelemy in the Italian Alps. It is organized by the European Southern Observatory (ESO), one of the leading organizations conducting space research from the Earth. This year\'s theme of the camp will be the matter of distance in space. Activities will be conducted by scientists from ESO.

National recruitment competition for the candidates was organized by the Polish Astronomical Society. They received 54 applications from students, one-fifth of applications from all countries.

ESO has granted Poland a total of six places at camp. In an open competition, five bursaries have been awarded that cover the cost of participation in the camp (500 euros) and the cost of airline tickets. In addition, the winner of the Polish Youth Astronomy Seminar in Grudziadz will also go to the camp and receive a bursary.

The winners of the bursaries are: Michał Grendysz from Lublin (Hetman Jan Zamoyski High School No. 2 in Lublin), Zofia Kaczmarek from Toruń (NCU Academic Secondary School in Toruń), Jakub Morawski from Bielsko-Biała (High School No. 5 in Bielsko-Biała), Mikołaj Sabat from Kielce (Jan Śniadecki High School No. 2 in Kielce), Tomasz Świerczewski from Michałów-Reginów (Ruy Barbosa School No. 73, with Integrated High School in Warsaw), Klaudia Zięba from Węglówka (Bartłomiej Nowodworski High School No. 1 in Kraków).

"The jury had a really difficult task, because the level of a large number of applications was high and similar. We thank all participants and encourage them to pursue astronomical passions, and to take part in the next editions of the competition" - said Krzysztof Czart, Polish coordinator of the ESO Science Outreach Network.

The bursaries are funded by the three organizations involved in popularizing science: Polish Astronomical Society, the Polish Children\'s Fund and the Foundation "New Space". The competition was also supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. The media sponsors were the journals "Urania - Postępy Astronomii" and "Wiedza i Życie", and PAP - Science and Scholarship in Poland.

Last Tuesday, the Minister of Science and Higher Education Prof. Lena Kolarska-Bobińska signed an agreement on the Polish accession to the European Southern Observatory. (PAP)

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