The Astronomical Society (formally Mathematical and Astronomical Society) established in 1959 is one of the oldest societies in the Colombo University and almost all Sri Lankan astronomers working in NASA and several other observatories around the world were the members of this society. We use the Department’s 28 cm reflector telescopes and our training programmes are conducted mostly in the astronomical observatory dome situated in the University paly ground. Inside the dome has the more than 100 years old University of Colombo Moleswrth telescope (needs a separate fund to repair it). The telescope was originally owned by Major P. B. Molesworth, born in Colombo, Sri Lanka in 1897 and made his astronomical observations in Trincomalee. He was considered as the finest amateur planetary observer alive in the world during the decade 1896-1905. A crater about 16 km in diameter on the southern hemisphere of Mars (211° W, 28° S) has been named after him. The telescope goes to the history book of the world astronomy due to another finding – the Jupiter’s great South Tropical Disturbance (1901-1939), a complex dusky region in the planet’s South Tropical Zone, was first recorded by Major P. B. Molesworth on 1901 February 28 using this telescope when it was housed in Trincomalee observatory in Sri Lanka. By far, this telescope and more than half century old Mathematical and Astronomical Society of the University of Colombo (former Astronomical Association of the University of Ceylon) affiliated to it has been the kindergarten to more than dozen world renowned astronomers immerged from Sri Lanka.

Committee for the Popularisation of Science (CPS) of the Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science currently conducts its outreach programmes on astronomy in remote districts like Jaffna, Vanuia, Batticaloa, Amparei, Anuradhapura, Ehaliyagoda etc. solely through the telescopes and resources from the Astronomical Society of the Department of Physics, University of Colombo. Similar services are provided by us to the NSF pop-science activities at school level. All-island astronomy quiz competition and more than five astronomical observations camps conducted annually at school level are some of our science outreach programmes carryout with the help of the Department’s Astronomical Society. We also provide programme development and technical support to the other organisations like Sri Lanka Planetarium and Arthur C Clarke Institute for Modern Technologies.

In the recent past more than ten astronomy related special degree undergraduate projects have been completed and many are in collaboration with the Arthur C Clarke Institute for Modern Technologies, in Katubedda, Moratuwa. More recently we have started Astronomy, Astrophysics and Space science postgraduate degree (MPhil and PhD) programmes in collaboration with the universities of Utah, USA (in the field of High Energy Astrophysics), Pennsylvania State University (in the field of Dark Matter and Gravitational Lensing), Astronomy and Astrophysics Division, Physics Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, India (in the field of Observational AstronomySpectroscopy). On March 29, 2016 a team of Scientists headed by Dr. Akimasa Yoshikawa of Kyushu University Japan visited the Department of Physics, University of Colombo and establish a Rs 5 million worth Magnetic Field Measuring station in Sri Lanka highlighting Sri Lanka as the 28th country to join the MAGDAS9 UN funded project on investigating the influence of solar activity on earth and nearby environment(Space science and Space Weather international project). Signing an MOU between the universities of Kyushu Japan and Colombo, Sri Lanka is in the pipeline to continue this research collaboration and a NRC grant was received for the same

The unit will cater to uplift the level of students, teachers, and scientists with a flare for astronomy in Sri Lanka. Research carried on within the unit will mainly guide towards astronomy, astrophysics and space science. Public outreach programmes such as astronomical night observational camps at school level and district level, helping to conduct Sri Lankan Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad and the Sri Lankan Junior Astronomy Olympiad jointly with the Institute of Physics, Sri Lanka and the Sri Lankan Astronomy Olympiad Association are envisaged. We are also currently conducting the teacher training programme for the National Institute of Education (NIE) annually.

• Support astronomy related education programs for undergraduate and postgraduate students at University of Colombo and other Universities in Sri Lanka (Special degree programs, diploma, masters and PhD programmes).
• Conduct training programs for academics, researchers, school teachers, technicians and students to carry out astronomy related activities.
• Conduct research programs in Sri Lanka at international level in the fields of Astronomy, Astrophysics and Space Science and produce publications with special attention to indexed journal publications.
• Increase the general knowledge on astronomy of all university students in the Colombo University by strengthen the Astronomical Society of the Department of Physics.
• Conduct public awareness programmes on night sky and special celestial events like eclipses, visible comets, potentially hazard asteroids.
• Organize activities to popularize astronomy among the school children and general public.
• Provide expertise support to other local universities and institutes like Sri Lanka Planetarium, Arthur C Clarke Institute for Modern Technologies whenever requested to develop their activities in the field of Astronomy and Space Science.
• Support national level activities such as Astronomy Olympiad.
• Setting up of a well-equipped observatory/laboratory with computers, telescopes, CCD cameras, spectrographs, photometers with other supporting equipment, demonstration setups and audio-visual facilities to carry out Astronomy education training, night sky observations and research.
• Develop a mechanism to provide the technical support to schools and other national bodies possessing telescopes and other astronomy related equipment on service and maintenance.
• Establish international collaborative research links with other research groups/ professionals working in the field of Astronomy, Astrophysics and Space Science.
• Organizing International/Regional Workshops/Seminars in Sri Lanka in the field(s) of Astronomy, Astrophysics and Space Science.

Space

Sufficient building space is available for the research laboratory in the Physics Department premises to install computers, keep telescopes and other equipment as well as seminar rooms and lecturer halls to conduct workshops and seminars.

Equipments

Telescopes and computer facilities are available.

Sources of Funding

• NSF (National Science Foundation).
• NRC (National Research Council).
• IPSL (Institute of Physics, Sri Lanka).
• SLAAS (Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science).
• IAU (International Astronomical Union).
• ISWI (The MAGDAS Project of International Space Weather Initiative (ISWI) programme launched by the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space in 2009).