A team comprising of five students who excelled at the 5th Sri Lankan Astronomy an Astrophysics Olympiad SLAAO) -2011 was sent to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in August 2012 to participate at the 6th International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA). This year the first four students those who received best results at the 5th SLAAO couldn’t participate due to their August local A/L examinations overlapping with the 6nd IOAA dates in 2012. The team to Brazil was headed by the National Coordinator Prof. Chandana Jayaratne. The team was given vigorous training on theory and practical sides of astronomy prior to their departure at the Department of Physics, University of Colombo; Sri Lanka Planetarium and by the scientists at the astronomical observatory of the Arthur C Clarke Institute for Modern Technologies, Katubedda, Moratuwa .

Following five students from Sri Lanka participated at the 6th IOAA held from 4th – 14th August 2012.

Banuka Dimuthu Kularatne

Nalanda College,Colombo-10

Dona Tharika Dishani

Devi Balika College, Colombo-08

Dian Indula

Ananda College, Colombo-10

Ayodya Bede Thejasiri

De Mazenod college, Kandana

Ashan Chathuranga

Isipathana College, Colombo-05

Dian Indula of Ananda College, Colombo-10 has received a honorable mention award at the 6th IOAA held in Brazil. Tharika Dishani of Devi Balika College, Colombo-08 has won the prize for Logic competition.