Sri Lankan Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad
Encyclopedia
The Sri Lankan Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad is a competition for Sri Lankan high school students on Astronomy
and Astrophysics
. It is the highest and the only government sponsored competition in the field of Astronomy, in Sri Lanka
.
. The Institute of Physics Sri Lanka in collaboration with the Department of Physics, University of Colombo
and Ministry of Education
made arrangements to hold national competitions, related to international events annually. It is coordinated by Dr. K.P.S. Chandana Jayaratne
of the University of Colombo. So far, three competitions have been held.
.
so far.
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
Astrophysics is the branch of astronomy that deals with the physics of the universe, including the physical properties of celestial objects, as well as their interactions and behavior...
. It is the highest and the only government sponsored competition in the field of Astronomy, in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
.
History
Sri Lankan Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad competition was initiated in 2007, in-order to prepare students for the International Olympiad on Astronomy and AstrophysicsInternational Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics
The International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics is an annual astronomy competition for high school students. It is one of the international science olympiads....
. The Institute of Physics Sri Lanka in collaboration with the Department of Physics, University of Colombo
University of Colombo
The University of Colombo is a public research university located primarily in Colombo, Sri Lanka...
and Ministry of Education
Ministry of Education (Sri Lanka)
The Ministry Of Education is a ministry of the Government of Sri Lanka that directs the formulation and implementation of policies related to primary and secondary education in Sri Lanka...
made arrangements to hold national competitions, related to international events annually. It is coordinated by Dr. K.P.S. Chandana Jayaratne
Chandana Jayarathne
Dr Chandana Jayarathne is a Sri Lankan Physicists specialising in Physics . He is a Senior Lecturer in Physics at University of Colombo Sri Lanka and also current President of Institute of Physics, Sri Lanka.He is a product of Nalanda College Colombo and a graduate of University of Colombo with a...
of the University of Colombo. So far, three competitions have been held.
Nature of the competition
The preliminary round of the Sri Lankan Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad competition is a one and half hour theory paper on Astronomy and Astrophysics. It usually consists of 20 multiple choice questions and structured essay type questions. There is no age limit for the competition as long as the participant's age does not exceed 19 years to the given date. Main sections that covered are, Basic Astrophysics, Coordinates and Times, Solar System, Stellar Systems, Cosmology, Instrumentation and Space Technologies. StarsStudents who are selected from the competition are trained at the Arthur C Clark Institute for Modern Technologies, MoratuwaMoratuwa
Moratuwa is a city on the southwestern coast of Sri Lanka, near Dehiwela-Mount Lavinia. It is situated on the Galle–Colombo main highway, 18 km south of the capital, Colombo. Moratuwa is surrounded on three sides by water, except in the north of the city, by the Indian Ocean on the west...
.
Influence
It was only in the mid 1990s, Astronomy became popular among Sri Lankan high school students. There was a rapid increase of formation of Astronomy clubs in Sri Lankan schools at that time. Astronomical Society of Dharmaraja College, Anandian Astronomical Association, Nalanda College Astronomical Association, Astronomical Society of Mahamaya Girls' College are few of the major high school astronomical societies formed by then. This led to organize various quiz competitions and observation competitions among schools, regarding astronomy. But until Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad competition initiated in 2007, there was no government involvement in the field. Thus, Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad competition influenced many high school students in Sri Lanka to engage in the study of Astronomy.Achievements
Sri Lankan students have won 5 honourable mentions and one prize for the Most Creative Solution in Theory in 3 International Olympiads on Astronomy and AstrophysicsInternational Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics
The International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics is an annual astronomy competition for high school students. It is one of the international science olympiads....
so far.
See also
- International Olympiad on Astronomy and AstrophysicsInternational Olympiad on Astronomy and AstrophysicsThe International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics is an annual astronomy competition for high school students. It is one of the international science olympiads....
- International Astronomy OlympiadInternational Astronomy OlympiadThe International Astronomy Olympiad is an internationally recognized annual astronomy scientific-educating event for high school students , which includes an intellectual competition between these students...