Star Party 2011, Kandy- Sri Lanka

Star Party 2011 will be held from 6.00 p.m. onwards on  21st of October 2011, at the University of Peradeniya, Kandy ,Sri Lanka and this will go for 12 hours, including different sessions of night sky observation.

Basically there will be 2 segments themed as competition and workshop where the amateur students can both evaluate their talent and improve their know-how on practical astronomy. The competition is expected to be the focus of many students, as everybody will try their best to grab the champions trophy and claim for the honor of 'Best Astronomy Team' of the country.  Moreover there will be an online quiz as well allowing just anybody in the planet to take part and of course win prizes depending on their performance. This will be the 2nd time, we're launching the online quiz, taking the possibility of participation into virtual realms. You can easily take part in this online version of the quiz even now as the it's already in progress till the event finishes.More information regarding this is available here http://starparty.lk/online-quiz-2/

Additionally there will be a comprehensive webcast featuring Star Party at http://Live.StarParty.LK/

Star Party is aimed at improving and evaluating the observation astronomy skills of school students and amateur astronomers. You can browse more information from the official website http://StarParty.LK/
More information can be obtained from starpartysl@gmail.com 

This event is organized for the 8th consecutive year by Anandian Astronomical Association together with Astronomical Society of Mahamaya Girls College.

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Back to blogging and now it's the time for some Draconids

Yeah, I'm back into blogging after ages, and I think I'd fancy blogging in this new platform which I'm using for the first time. This is a moment I achieved despite quite a many stuff that came across my way during recent months. Finally I'm done with my University exams and although it's already been few weeks since the end of the exams, it's just now I'm starting to scribble something, which was mostly due to my new-found passion of traveling. Chances were more that I had found myself engaged in some kind of work, either in University or outside, for my constant involvements with AIESEC and occasional rendezvous with Chess team and astronomical society of course. Although it was blogging where I made my absence I still managed to be on lookout for what's happening around in the arena of astronomy.

(I just selected this photo to feature this post, to showcase my latest passion :) although it has no relevance to this post)


Many great things of which I could have done interesting piece of blogging had already passed by and it's the time to resolve what we've got to come by. I remember I almost planned doing a blog post on the latest lecture I delivered for the astronomical society but it's too sad I couldn't end up doing it. Then I remember someone was trying to 'end' the world in late September and it was surprising that once of my close friends inquired about it asking for some clarification. Next I heard some experiments at CERN that led for weird results and still the media was exaggerating the hype and it was so awkward to notice in Facebook that some thing that has been envisioned true a great many years ago, being joked about just with the unveiling of some unverified conclusions. I remember I managed to meet Prof. Kavan during the following week and was talking with him about this issue, although AALK couldn't manage to make it to any physical colloquim recently. Soon afterward the iPhone 4S was launched and the next morning I was on Google homepage only to find an obituary notice of the very guy, who was the brainchild of Apple's range of hi-tech products. Thus many thing have followed since my last blog-post which was published on May, and I wouldn't too much bother following those up, as you might already have been through the monotonous flow of news.

Well, this is about Draconids, that I'm bringing you as a news for you ! Kudos to my friend Rex, for drawing my attention towards this and hence I'm able to tell you about this meteor shower. Draconids will take place on 8th October, (tomorrow for me) and if you're lucky (being able to be on the right spot at right time) you would witness as many as 1000 meteors per hour but however it could be that you may not be able to see any at all perhaps, which becomes possible in the event of Earth completely missing the torrent of these dust-particles originated from Comet 21 P (Giacobini-Zinner). Chances are more that you will see maybe few meteors at least, provided you're based in somewhere in Africa or Europe. You can check the following link for more details about the Draconids meteor shower and ideal timings for you depending on where you're based.

Draconids Meteor Shower on 8 October 2011 - http://www.imo.net/draconids2011

Hope you will keep this noted and at least get out and try to catch some glimpses of Draconids, Please do share if you do end up observing, no matter you observations were positive or negative, which later will encourage many to look up !

Keep looking up !!!

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