The Royal College Astronomical Society is a student society of the Royal College Colombo

Royal College Colombo

The Royal College of Colombo was founded in January 1835 in Colombo. It is considered to be the leading Public School in Sri Lanka...

, that engages in the study of astronomy

Astronomy

Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...

.

History

The Society was formed in 1967 during the turner principle B.G. Premaratne and received a 4 inch reflector telescope from the optician Eric Rajapakse, an amateur astronomer and a council member of the Ceylon Astronomical Association (CAA). Meetings and actives of the society at the a society room known as The Astro Conference Room, an Astronomy Library was added later with contributions from the Asia Foundation

Asia Foundation

The Asia Foundation is a non-profit, non-governmental organization professing a commitment to "development of a peaceful, prosperous, just, and open Asia-Pacific region." The Foundation supports Asian initiatives to improve governance, law, and civil society; women’s empowerment; economic reform...

 and the American Center

American Center

The American Center is a high-rise tower in the Metro Detroit suburb of Southfield, Michigan. It was built in 1975 and stands at 26 stories, with one basement level, for a total of 27 floors....

. Its current membership includes more than 500 students.

Programs

The Astronomical Society organizes events to observe planetary transits, Comets and other astronomical events; lectures and workshops conducted by eminent scientist and astronomers annually. H. L. Reed Prize for Astronomy, the only prize for astronomy awarded by a school in the island is presented by the society on the results of a special exam. It was previously held it Prof V. K. Samaranayake

V. K. Samaranayake

Vidya Jyothi V. K. Samaranayake MBCS, MCS, FNASSL, MIEEE pioneered computing & IT development industry and usage in Sri Lanka and thus considered as the "Father of Information Technology" in Sri Lanka. He was a Professor of Computer Science and former Dean of the Faculty of Science,...

 as examiner, currently it is held by Prof Kavan Ratnatunga, a past president of the society.

Associations

• Sri Lanka Astronomical Association (SLAA)
• Young Astronomer’s Association (YAA)
• Astronomy & Space Study Center
• Colombo Planetarium
• Arthur C. Clarke Center

Notable past members

• Professor
  Professor
  A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
  
   Ray Jayawardhana
  Ray Jayawardhana
  Ray Jayawardhana is an astronomer at the University of Toronto, where he holds the Canada Research Chair in Observational Astrophysics, and an award-winning science writer...
  
   - Astronomer
  Astronomer
  An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
  
  , Associate Professor at the University of Toronto
  University of Toronto
  The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
  
  , Canada Research Chair in Observational Astrophysics and Steacie Fellow
• Professor
  Professor
  A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
  
   Kavan Ratnatunga - Astronomer and Associate Research Professor, Physics Department, Carnegie Mellon University
  Carnegie Mellon University
  Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States....
  
  

External links

• Royal College Astronomical Society