ABOUT ME

My interests in astronomy began when I was kid. I could remember starring at stars for hours in our garden, probably before even schooling. I assume I did that maybe just to enjoy the night sky or maybe because of the curiosity. Then the curiosity was again awakening with the Shoemaker-Levy Comet and Jupiter incident. I can remember on the day of the event I was there standing in front of our TV starring at a program which described the whole event. There was a movie clip showing the how the impact would occur and these pictures are still in my head.

But the real interest came up when I found a binocular at my place which belongs to my uncle, that time I must have been in grade 5 or something I can still remember how I was startle to see hundred of stars through the binocular. But I sooner realize its bit irritating that I can’t use it for a longer time, I was pretty annoyed with my neck hurts. The best place to view stars from our place was the hood in top of the entrance to our place. But never was able to get up there at that time. And my interest was faded for a while. (And I think my uncle took the binocular back).

But I would say I had generally a good knowledge in Astronomy all ways. Once I remember in the one of my Primary classes our class teacher was explaining us the orbits of Earth and Moon compared to Sun. I think I was the only kid who realizes that she was teaching the whole thing upside down and gave the totally wrong knowledge to us. (Today I realize that the knowledge in astronomy among teachers is very low. Which is a pity)?

Royal College Astronomical Society

After getting a scholarship in grade 5 I moved to best ranked school in the island, Royal College. That time Royal College had about more than two hundred clubs and societies. In grade 6 I got my membership of Royal College Astronomical Society which was my first astronomy society. But they didn’t do any programs for a long time. And about a year after my membership I attended my first astronomy event which was a moon camp. Although I was pretty excited about it, we DID NOT see any glimpse of the moon (Now I realize it’s more of a traditional thing to sky gets covered with clouds when ever we have an observation session). The camp was conducted with the help of people from Astronomy & Space Study Center (that time I never imagined that one day I would be running the Astronomy & Space Study Center). I can still remember how very educated looking person gathered a group of us around him and explained telescopes to us (now I know he’s Mr. Prasad Hemantha - Bowlin Green University, USA who became a very good friend of mine and we were like brothers always). Not forgetting it was the first time I got very late to get home by myself. The camp gave my good experience and a lesson of observational astronomy how it all can get screwed by a bunch of clouds.

- And there wasn’t any program for a along time, about 2 years.

I was member of the Planet Internet in our local Planetarium which was established to allow free use of internet for educational purposes. Because of this I was a regular visitor to the Planetarium. Then one day I saw a poster at the planetarium saying about an exhibition called “Planet 2001”. One of the planetarium staff gave me more posters to display in our college and I asked from him how I could be a part of it. But we had only one week to get organize to have a stall where all other schools have been preparing things for months for things. But I managed to get the committee interested about it (should mention that time the society was run by high school students where we were in middle school, my point is that it’s rare occasion that high school students works according to middle school students.) With a good team work and a hard work of about 20 people day and night, we managed to put up stall about UFO and Alien hoax. Rather fascinating subject to get the attention of the public. The exhibition held for 3 days, and we were exhausted. But it was a job well done. After that I got heavily involved in Royal College Astronomical Society and made it one of the top ranking societies out of more than two hundred clubs/societies in our school. The membership was raised every year, currently there are about 300 members and 300 more non-members who participate in our programs. (The school ruled that any club/society should have a limited membership).

After years of my involvement in society, I’m happy to serve it as the Instructor even after I passed out of the school.

Some of the highlights of my involvement

• Major increase of the membership.
• New logo, motto, vision and mission.
• A larger body structure to run the society.
• Weekly lectures to the members from 2001-2007
• Annual workshop 2001-2007
• Annual sci-fi short story competition 2005-7
• Annual Planetarium visits for grades 7, 8, and 9 2004-2007
• A quiz competition among members.
• 2 camps per each year 2002-2007
• Committee Training Program (CTP) 2004-2007
• Special Observing sessions.

Member 1997-2000

Committee Member 2001/2

Assistant President 2003/4

President 2005

Coordinator 2006

Instructor 2007-

Moon Landing Commemorative Forum

Around 2000 (I was in grade 9); by a coincident I bought a copy of the local magazine called the “Scientist”, because that issue was a special issue for the anniversary of the Moon Landing. For my surprise I found in the magazine that the publishers are starting a new forum dedicated to Moon Landing called, Moon Landing Commemorative Forum. First thing was to send the application which was attached with the magazine. (Till recently I had a copy of it, unfortunately I have miss placed or my mother has thrown the file away). After a while I got a notice of the first meeting. With my dad I went to the meeting which was held in a small hall near “Lumbini” theater. Then after a while a second meeting was called for the anniversary of the Moon Landing and to give our membership cards which held at Ananda College. The chief guest was popular science anchor – Edwin Ariyadasa. He was given a wonderful speech and in the end I recall he saying “I’m sure at least one of these students present here will step on Moon or Mars one day”, and that moment I felt a sudden chill inside me thinking that should be me. And end of the program I was happy to receive my membership card by him. Unfortunately it was the last gathering of the forum, it died after that.

Rocketry and Space Science Society

When I was in grade 10 (2001), I received a strange message from the school officials asking me to contact a certain person called Mr. Ranasinghe who was the head Surveyor for the government. Same day when I came home my father said the same person was trying to contact me. Finally I called the person but his wife was there, she told me the whole story. They wanted to start a society called “Rocketry & Space Science Society” as a branch of the International Astounds Club in Japan. And they wanted me to be the president of the society. The society ran with the guidance of Dr. Chandana Jayaratne and Mr. Ranasinghe as advisors and many other professionals. It was a very strong society and it was my first experience working with a professional crowd (not to forget that I learnt many lessons dealing with professional, should say it wasn’t easy at that time). We did a very exciting all island poster competition. And there were few lectures given in the meetings.

Unfortunately after my year as the President the society was dismissed due to various problems among the professional body.

President 2002

Astronomy & Space Study Center

For sometime I was aware of a place called Astronomy & Space Study Center (ASSC), situated in Piliyandala which was run by few astronomy enthusiasts. Me and my friend Laika wanted to visit there always but never had the opportunity. Somewhere around April of 2001 during our school vacation, me and my two friends, Laika and Sadeera, we all went there.

ASSC was actually a part of SUBODHI Institute which was an integral education institute and it situated in a very beautiful place by river band, a perfect place to do astronomy I would say. Our first day was in fact a very special day; it was the Sinhalese and Hindu New Year celebration at the center (Sinhalese has a different New Year which lies around 14 of April each year – it’s actually the time of first point of Aries). My first lecture was “Nemesis” and was delivered by Naveen Jayawardhana (to be medical doctor in few years). The first day it gave me a very homely feeling by the ASSC crowd. And I really liked the place. There after every Saturday I was there busy organizing things rather than going there as a regular member.

The ASSC runs by about 20 university students who have a passion for astronomy as well as promoting it throughout the nation. We also have very good senior committee (those who ran the association earlier days) consisting university lecturers who give us their invaluable support and knowledge in every step we take. With a membership about 2000+, since its establishment in 1987, we have had more than 50,000 participants in our programs. This year we celebrated our 20^th anniversary, so we are still going very strong as an astronomy educating center and most importantly we act as a mother organization to all other school astronomical societies in Sri Lanka.

As the observation coordinator of the association I’m happy to serve and carry forward the task of promoting astronomy throughout the nation.

Some of the highlights of my involvement

• Astronomy Summer school 2001-2007 – (organizing committee)
• Assistance to school based Astro clubs with their quizzes, workshops, days, etc…
• Assistance to schools to establish astronomy clubs.
• Started a newsletter to distribute among members called “SkyGazer”, (was the editor.)
• Conducted observation camps to schools around the country.
• Regular observation camps for members and committee.
• Special Astro-photography camps for the committee.
• Special Meteor Observing sessions for the committee.
• Special Moon Observing sessions for the committee.
• Conducted a certificate course in General Astronomy. (first in Sri Lanka)
• Conducted a certificate course in Cosmology. (first in Sri Lanka)
• Committee Training Program. ( a concept by me)

Member 2001

Sub Committee 2002

Sub committee leader 2002

Committee member 2003-5

Telescope Coordinator 2003

Observation coordinator 2005-7

Sri Lanka Astronomical Association

Few years back I met an astronomer called Michael Snowden who’s specialized in the filed of Mars. Although I would say it’s rather he found me. He has been a regular visitor to Sri Lanka and a very good friend of Sir Arthur Clarke. He was the first “real” astronomer I met and I was pretty excited about it. We became very good friends and did few programs on his visits to Sri Lanka. Through him I got the privilege of meeting Sir Arthur Clarke and Prof. Kavan Ratnatunga who’s a retired Sri Lankan astronomer. Prof. Kavan and I became good friends too; in fact he was one of the past presidents (in 1969/71) of my school society, Royal College Astronomical Society.

Two years back he settled down in Sri Lanka. We did few programs together. Last year 2006, he suggests that we should reactivate the Ceylon Astronomical Association which was the first official astronomy society in Sri Lanka and was founded by Sir Arthur Clarke.

So, last year June, just after Sir Arthur, Michael and I came back from a nice trip to Sigiriya, we had a meeting to reactivate the Association. Sir Arthur as the Patron, Prof. Kavan as the President and I as the Secretary, we reactivated the association under a new name “Astronomy Association of Lanka”.

The purpose of the association is to work to bring together all other science/astronomy related institutions in Sri Lanka. The association hopes to keep in contact with the Sri Lankan and foreign Astronomers who could be helpful for the association matters and will arrange special sessions on their visit to Sri Lanka.

Since Sri Lanka hasn’t produce any quality research paper in Astronomy or related, the association hopes to encourage and guide university students to do various astronomy related researches.

It’s such a privilege to run an association which was founded by the great Sir Arthur Clarke himself. I’m hoping to carry my duties as the secretary of the association forward.

Some of the highlights of my involvement

• Designed and maintain a website.
• Editor of the monthly e-newsletter.
• Organized the “Carl Sagan – COSMOS” screening for the undergraduates.
• Currently we are planning programs for the International Year of Astronomy.

General Secretary 2006/7 -

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Personal bio

Name: Thilina Heenatigala.

Date of Birth: 18/04/1986 Age: 21

Education: Royal College (middle and high school)

American National College, Colombo (undergraduate)

Currently studying at a local privet University, “American National College” and hope to transfer to a good astronomy based University (probably in USA, or maybe somewhere else) to follow a degree in astronomy/physics.

Goals:

From my child hood I always wanted to go to space. So, my first goal is to become an Astronaut (interested in going to Mars). Universe generally fascinates me a lot. Therefore my other goal is to be an astronomer (observational). Life can’t get better if you can spend the rest of your life starring at stars. And last but not least to be an astronomy educator to popularize this wonderful field to the people in any where on Earth.

Interests:

I’m usually interested in just about anything. Subject wise I’m mainly interested in Geology, History, Archeology, Biology, Geography, etc…

In vacation times, I enjoy doing some hiking, mountain climbing, traveling around the country.

Also I enjoy writing; I have been a freelance writer for about 3 years now and write to local papers.

Other than these science related things, I’m involved in the fashion industry as a designer. I enjoy designing cloths. This year I was involved in a fashion show. Next year we’ll be doing two shows.

And my hobbies includes, watching movies, hanging with friends, partying and usual youth stuff.

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I find Astronomy is an intricately multidisciplinary science; but each of its component disciplines is very basic and even cutting-edge. It is often sidelined in developing countries, apparently due to misconceptions about its usefulness to society and the practicalities of imparting or teaching it arising from a basic lack of resources. However, specific parts of this wide science that tries to understand our Universe as a whole are amenable to training, especially considering the wide interest that everybody has in the mysterious world beyond our Earth. I hope my efforts to bring astronomy to people have done considerable change in our community. Together with my colleagues I hope to continue this task.

Clear skies & always keep looking up!!

Thilina Heenatigala.

General Secretary
Astronomical Association of Lanka

Observation Coordinator
Astronomical & Space Study Center

Instructor
Royal College Astronomical Society

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Mr. Thilina Heenatigala.

No: 27, Stalmaj H.S.,

Athurugiriya.

Sri Lanka.

10150

URL: http://aalk.lakdiva.net

E-mail: thilina_atn@yahoo.com

Mobile: (+94) 0716 245545

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