The Nalanda College

AstronomyColombo, Sri Lanka

“ SEE THE FUTURE THROUGH THE REALITY ”

OurContribution

Nalanda College Astronomical Society

Nalanda College Astronomical Society is the leading School Astronomical Society in the Island through its history of 18 years. From 1995, it has done an immense service to the school students and to the public too. Astronomy is not an unfamiliar subject to the students all over the world but it’s little bit unfamiliar for Sri Lankan students. As this is the situation prevailing, the Nalanda College Astronomical Society is taking the responsibility of educating the school children all over the island about Astronomy.

We have organized lots of Quizzes and Camps with renoved organizations such as “Colombo University” and “Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Modern Technology”, Moratuwa.

As school students we are organizing Sun Observation Day Camps, Night Sky Observation Camps, Astronomy and Space Science Workshops, etc to upgrade the knowledge about Astronomy of Sri Lankan students. This can be proved by the fact that we have conducted our 252 Consecutive Visiting Astronomy Night Camps. Because of the high discipline shown by the members of our society in the lectures and night camps organized by our society and Astronomical Societies of other schools, we are receiving invitations continuously.

We are proud to say that old nalandians Prof. G.A. Padmajeeva Ganepola and G.A. Vasantha Ganepola was the pioneers to launch the 1st Sri Lankan Solid Rocket “Ether Hawk - 1” in 1959.

From 1995, we have organized Astronomy days and quizzes which helped to upgrade the astronomy knowledge of Students Island wide. Some remarkable events in our history are,

When considering about the International Level the members of Nalanda College Astronomical Society B.D.S. Muthsinghe, G.D.A. Ariyawansha, H.M.M.S.D.Kumara and Banuka Dimuthu have paved their way for even International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA). also a members of Nalanda College Astronomical Society G.E.L Chathuranga and Harindu Daham Suriyarachchi participated the International Water Rocket Competition conducted by Asia Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF).

There are nearly 30 past pupils of Nalanda College in NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration, USA) & JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California) Prof. Sarath D. Gunapala, Dr Sumith V. Bandara and Prof. Thulsi Wickramasinghe are some of pioneers among them.

Also the Nalanda College Astronomical Society reserves the honor of making the first Meteor Counting Antenna in Sri Lanka. In additional Asela Attygala a past member of Nalanda College Astronomical Society prepared the edited star map for Sri Lanka. Nalanda College Astronomical Society has donated great writers to the World. Eranga Lakmal Amarasinghe a past member of Nalanda College Astronomical Society is one of the best Astronomy student writers ever borned in Sri Lanka.

The Nalanda College Astronomical Society will carry on their good path with their theme“See The Future Through the Reality”

Nalanda College Astronomical Society Quiz Team emerged Champions and Runners up at many all Island Inter School Quiz competitions including 1st place at “Star Party 2010” receiving the honor of Best School Based Astronomical Society In Sri Lanka.

Our Contribution to Promote Astronomy in Our School...

Nalanda College Astronomical Society began in year 1995 with limited number of students but it developed very quickly limited inside Nalanda College. It became an active society in Nalanda College by increasing the knowledge about astronomy and modern day space administrations.

In this task “Night Sky Observation Camping” was a special feature. Nalanda College Astronomical Society did a great service by improving the curiosity and knowledge about astronomy of the school children in that period. In that period internet and information technology was in a low state of development. So we went through books and newspapers and other knowledge sources to get armed with Astronomical knowledge then we started to give our knowledge to other schools.

With beginning of the new millennium after 2000 our society stood as a strong and permanent society. In the beginning we were limited to our school, but then we stood as a active Astronomical Society out of school as well as inside the school. To deliver the knowledge to students about Telescope which is most essential equipment for astronomical studies, the telescopes we received as donations were the best help we got.

In 1996 our Society was able to hold the 1st Astronomy exhibition in Sri Lanka as soon as it formed.

Our 1st Astronomy Exhibition

Astro Exhibitions (Sri Lanka Planetarium at 2000 & 2001)

Venus Transit 2004

Our Society took part at the “Astro 2000 & Astro 2001 Exhibitions” Organized by Sri Lanka Planetarium with most distinguished exhibits.

We organized a day camp to observe the Venus transit 2004 giving the opportunity to get a rare experience for nearly 2500 students and teachers in our school.

Nova 2006 Exhibition

Leo Night Camp 2004

Nova 2006 Exhibition, Organized by Nalanda College Astronomical Society was the 2nd Astronomy Exhibition organized by a school in Sri Lanka.

Leo Night Camp 2004 organized By Nalanda College Astronomical Society and Leo Club of Nalanda College to observe the Orionides meteor shower. This event was awarded as the best Leo project in Sri Lanka for the year 2004

The most special event in the Sri Lankan Astronomy Calendar…

“The Nalanda College Astronomical Day” stands as a very special event in the astronomy calendar, because it is organized by one of the most leading school astronomical societies in Sri Lanka.

We are proud to say that the Nalanda College Astronomical Day is the only annual day celebration that has been organized continuously since the year 1996 in our school.

“Vimala Bandara Challenge Trophy” all Island Inter school quiz competition is the most attractive event that has to be launched within the Astronomical Day since the year 2003.It also adds an extra importance to the day because it is one of the largest and most distinguished astronomy quiz competitions in Sri Lanka.

The winners of this Competition will be awarded with one of the most reputed Astronomy Challenge Trophy “Vimala Bandara Challenge Trophy” which was donated by a distinguished Old Nalandian who is working in NASA, Dr. Sumith V. Bandara, in commemoration of his loving mother.

Nalanda CollegeAstronomy Day & Vimala Bandara Challenge Trophy

Another Main Event of us is ...

“Helios” is a Sun Observation camp which is annually held event conducted by Nalanda College Astronomical Society (NCAS) and Ananda Balika Vidyalaya Astronomical Society (ABVAS). Both of these

clubs are school based so most of the participants are resent school attendees.

Helios ’09 is the third sun observation camp we did. And because of IYA-2009 we planned to do some change in the programme so in this year by converting the sun observation camp in to a solar eclipse

observation camp.

According to the time schedule first solar eclipse was held on January 26th at about 1402hr local time in Sri Lanka. We were lucky enough to eyewitness the historical solar eclipse which will not be seen in next

60 years to south East Asia. Weather conditions were bad that particular day for most of the regions in country. This is a short description of the camp and Image gallery of the solar eclipse.

About 300 students all over the island participated this event.

Introduction

HELIOS 2009

These Following Images are from the Solar Eclipse Observation Camp held at Nalanda College grounds Colombo, Sri Lanka

unfortunately bad weather and clouds prevent us to watch the starting of the eclipse. After few minutes luck came on to our side. We were lucky enough to see the eclipse...

Solar Eclipse

The Solar Eclipse of January 15, 2010 was an annular eclipse of the Sun that was fully visible only within a narrow stretch of 300 km (190 mi) width across Central Africa, Maldives, South Kerala (India), South Tamil Nadu (India), Jaffna (Sri Lanka) and parts of Bangladesh, Burma and China. It was the longest annular solar eclipse of the millennium and the longest until December 23, 3043, with a maximum duration of 11 minutes and 7.8 seconds.

St: Johns College, the leading school in Jaffna district invited Nalanda College only, out of all the high schools in Sri Lanka, to observe this historical event. While over 600 educational, academic and international research scientists from all over the world were stationed in Jaffna peninsula waiting for this moment to arrive with their sophisticated equipments, Nalanda amateur astronomers carried their Mead ETX 90 telescope enthusiastically to Jaffna to watch and take pictures of this solar eclipse of the millennium. Teachers and the students of St: Johns College welcomed NCAS delegates with a warm hospitality and thanked NCAS for providing their students and teachers to participate jointly in this occasion. This was the biggest event ever witnessed by such a large gathering since the end of the ethnic war in 2009.

Following pictures depict the moments of this historic event captured through the Mead ETX 90 Macksutov -Cassegrain Telescope, which the Nalanda amateur astronomers carried with them to Jaffna on this spectacular day.

Annular Solar Eclipse January 15th 2010 (St. Johns College, Jaffna)

Nalanda College Astronomical Society Organized Sky Eye 2010 Astronomy Workshop to improve the practical knowledge of the school students on Astronomy

Sky Eye 2010 Workshop

Our contribution to promote Astronomy in Sri Lanka

Night Sky Observation Camps

As school students we are organizing Sun Observation Day Camps, Night Sky Observation Camps, Astronomy and Space Science Workshops, etc to upgrade the knowledge about Astronomy of Sri Lankan students. This can be proved by the fact that we have conducted our 252 Consecutive Visiting Astronomy Night Camps. Because of the high discipline shown by the members of our society in the lectures and night camps organized by our society and Astronomical Societies of other schools, we are receiving invitations continuously.

We are proud to say that our society received the honor of organizing the 1st Night Sky Observation Camp in Sri Lanka and still we are the only school which has the capability to conduct such event in Sri Lanka.

We are glad to say that still we are the proud organizers of the Annual Night Camp of Visaka Vidyalaya, Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya, Devi Balika Vidyalaya and Ananda Balika Vidayalaya since 1996.

Annual Night Camp of Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya, Colombo

Annual Night Camp of Devi Balika Vidyalaya, Colombo

Annual Night Camp of Ananda Balika Vidayalaya, Colombo

Night Camp at Yashodhra Devi Balika Vidyalaya, Gampaha

Night Camp at Haldummulla Vidyalaya, Badulla

Children’s Summer Camp together with UNESCO

Astronomy Exhibition at Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya

Astronomy Exhibitions

Night Camp at Debarawewa Central College, Thissamaharamaya

Annual Night Camp of Gothami Balika Vidayalaya, Colombo

Night Camp at Erathne Maha Vidyalaya, Rathnapura

Night Camp at Homagama Central College

NCAS in Future Minds Exhibition

1st Expo in 2006

2nd Expo in 2007

3rd Expo in 2008

Our Society took part at the Future Minds Exhibition organized by Nalanda College Junior Old Boys Association since year 2006 with most distinguished exhibits.

4th Expo in 2009

5th Expo in 2010

6th Expo in 2011

7th Expo in 2012

8th Expo in 2013

Events With Government Officials

Opening Day of the New Wing of the Defence Services College, Colombo

Presenting our Star Map to the Ministers of Education & Science and Technology

Presenting our work to the Ministers at Education Exhibitions

Our members who paved their way to International level…

This competition is to select the representatives to attend the International Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad. This event is organized by the Institute of Physics – Sri Lanka in collaboration with the Department of Physics, University of Colombo and Ministry of Education. Members of Nalanda College astronomical Society placed 1st in every SLAAO and participated in the IOAA.

Following students from Nalanda College Participated in the 2007 IOAA

Mr. Bungiriye Devinda Shameera Muthusinghe (Placed 1st in SLOAA) Mr. G D Ashan Ariyawansa (Placed 2nd in SLOAA)

Both of them received honorable mention awards at the IOAA 2007

Mr. G D Ashan Ariyawansa from Nalanda College placed 1st in SLOAA 2008 and received honorable mention award at the IOAA 2008.

Sri Lankan Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad

1st IOAA - Thailand

2nd IOAA - Indonesia

Mr. G D Ashan Ariyawansa from Nalanda College placed 1st in SLOAA 2009 and received honorable mention award at the IOAA 2009.

Mr. H M M S Dinith Kumara from Nalnada College received a Gold medal in 4th SLOAA and participated 4th IOAA in China.

Mr. B D Kularatne from Nalanda College received a Silver medal in 4th SLOAA 2010 and participated in 5th IOAA in Poland on Augest 2011.

3rd IOAA - Iran

4th IOAA - China

5th IOAA - Poland

Mr. B D Kularatne from Nalanda College received a Gold medal in 5th SLOAA 2011 and participated in 6th IOAA in Brazil on August 2012.

Mr. A.M.I.C. Abeyratne and W.T.R.M. Abeysekara participated in 7th IOAA in Greece on January 2013. A.M.I.C Abeyratne won an honorable mention award at the 7th IOAA and Sri Lankan team placed 13th at the team competition.

Sri Lanka TeamSunera Somabandu (Nalanda College)Mansara Mihidul (Nalanda College)Dilan Senuruk (Nalanda College)

6th IOAA - Brazil

7th IOAA - Greece

Junior Astronomy Olympiad - Lithuania

6th Sri Lankan Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad, the national level exam to select the students to participate International Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad in Greece, 2013 was held in 2012. There P.A.K. Yasas Wickramathilake who got 1st place, Isuru Abeyrathne who got 2nd place and Osura Amarajeewa who got 5th place in SLAAO wish to be represent Sri Lanka in the IAAO in Greece 2013.

2nd Sri Lankan Junior Astronomy Olympiad, the national level exam for fewer than 14 students was held in 2012. There S.S. Somabandu got the 1st place, M.M. Aluthge got 2nd place, D.D. Senuruk got 3rd place and T.K. Ranasinghe got 3rd place. The overall result got by nalandians given below.

This is the best overall result that a single school got and a record got by Nalandians.

6th Sri Lankan Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad (SLOAA) 2012

2nd Sri Lankan Junior Astronomy Olympiad

• Gold Medals 08• Silver Medals 07• Bronze Medals 09• Merits 08

This event has been organized by the “Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Modern Technology” to select the representatives to attend the APRSAF (Asia Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum) water boost rocket competition. The winner of the local competition will be nominated to participate in the APRSAF water boost rocket competition which is sponsored by JAXA (Japanese Space Exploration Agency), Japan. and is hosted by some member country of APRSAF.

G E Lahiru Chathuranga from Nalanda College placed 1st at the national competition and represent our country in the APRSAF – 16 water boost rocket competition in 2010.

also Harindu Daham Suriyarachchi from Nalanda College placed 3rd at the national competition and represent our country in the APRSAF – 16 water booster rocket competition and take 6th place in 2012.

K.M. Inura Kulatunga from Nalanda College represent our country in the APRSAF – 20 water booster rocket competition and take 10th place over about 70 competitors from 15 countries in 2013.

This Event Held at Hanoi University Grounds in Vietnam. from 29th if November 2013 to 1st of December 2013

Water Boost Rocket Competition

APRSAF 20th Water Rocket Event 2013

Astronomy and Space Science Training Programs for Colombo District Science Teachers

The Nalanda College Astronomy announced the inauguration of the “NCA School of Astronomy”, with the Patronage of Prof. Padmajeewa Ganepola and Prof. Chandana Jayarathna, with the blessings of the ministry of education, on 21st of February 2013.

NCA School of Astronomy

Our Islandwide Promotion of Astronomy Education

Jaffna

Habarana

Kandy

Nuwara Eliya

Bandarawela

Ratnapura

Galle

Matugama

Colombo

Gampaha

Matara

Wiraketiya

Hambantota

Tissmaharama

Nainativu

Kankasanturai

Our

Wor

ldw

ide

Repr

esen

ting

of S

ri L

anka

in A

stro

nom

y an

d Sp

ace

Scie

nce

Com

pet

itio

ns

1st I

OAA

- Tha

iland

200

716th

APR

SAF -

Japa

n 20

10

20th

APR

SAF -

Vie

tnam

201

3

2nd

IOAA

- Ind

ones

ia 2

008

3rd

IOAA

- Ira

n 20

09 4th

IOAA

- Chi

na 2

010

5th

IOAA

- Pol

and

2011

6th

IOAA

- Bra

zil 2

012

7th

IOAA

- Gre

ece 2

013

Juni

or IO

AA - L

ithua

nia

2013