Popularizing Astronomy

Conducting two national Olympiads (since 2007 to date)

  1. Sri Lankan Olympiad on Astronomy
  2. Sri Lankan Junior Astronomy Olympiad

Maximum of five students those who do well in the Sri Lankan Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad Competition (for grades 10-13 students) will have the chance to participate at the International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics(IOAA). Meanwhile maximum of three students those who excelled at the Sri Lankan Junior Astronomy Olympiad competition (for grades 6-9) will send to the International Astronomy Olympiad(IOA)

  • Providing technical and other supports for the Solar and Lunar eclipses viewing programmes

  • Providing information about important Astronomical events to the country through media

  • Conducting Astronomical Night Sky Observation Camps and lectures on astronomy for schools, institutions and universities.

The following major events were conducted by ASSU

  • Astronomy and Space Science Unit of the Department of Physics and the Astronomical Society, University of Colombo to provide technical and other supports for the joint national annular eclipse viewing programme planned to conduct in Jaffna together with University of Jaffna, National Institute of Fundamental Studies and Western Norway University of Applied Sciences. Main activities involved are : (a)Two main Solar Eclipse Observing Camps, one in Jaffna University and other in Colombo University. Plans are also made to conduct scientific measurement during the eclipse.   The solar observing telescope due to donate by Colombo University Faculty of Science Alumni Association (CUFSAA) in USA will be used for this purpose. (b) Conduct early awareness programs by holding press conferences  and conducting all-island competition/exam among school children on eclipses. Activity is co-sponsored and financially supported by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Research, Sri Lanka and HRNCET projects and the Jaffna University will handle the financial part (LKR 1.7 million).

  • Astronomy and Space Science Unit of the Department of Physics University of Colombo to  conduct the national solar eclipse viewing programme at 256 Vidatha Centres all over the country directly under the patronage of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Research by a) training Vidatha centre officers in Colombo on 22.11.2019 by educating them on safe viewing of solar eclipses and   way to register school children for the local observation camps planned on Dec. 26, 2019 and way of awarding certificates for the winners. Each Vidatha centre will be provided with a take home pack of 10 eclipse glasses (3000 to receive free from International Astronomy Union), Astronomy and Space Science Unit (ASSU) produced video(DVD) on solar eclipses edited by FOS media, a poster prepared by ASSU on solar eclipses and a toolkit to produce home-made eclipse shades. The total coat of this project is LKR 3.9 mil. and Ministry of Science, Technology & Research will handle the financial part.

  • Hosted the 23rd International Astronomy Olympiad (IAO) -2018 in Sri Lanka as an activity to celebrate the country’s 70th Independence. The activities of the program were planned from 6th October to 14th October 2018 and this was the first ever International Olympiad to have in Sri Lanka. 22 countries and 130 foreign delegates participated (with local group and organizers -150).