The Secrets of Sri Lanka’s Night Skies

Early memories

Malmi’s first foray into the cosmos was in the early 1990s when visiting his aunt in the mountains of Hantana near Kandy. “Walking away from the houses into the darkness, the stars shone so brightly I felt as if time stood still. Far away in the distance I could see Kandy city with its lights glowing below the mountain and it felt as though there were stars both above and below me” he recalls.

From this moment on, the night sky above Sri Lanka became a passion, a source of study and a guiding light which would lead him to a career in guiding, driven from a desire to share the wonders of our planet and those beyond with travellers.

Keep Looking Up!

Sri Lanka’s position close to the equator means you can observe constellations from both the Northern and Southern hemispheres, as well as a myriad of meteor showers and astrological events.

Malmi shares “one of the most recognisable of the constellations is Scorpius, the scorpion, which dominates the evening sky above Sri Lanka in September. Its brightest star, Antares, is a red supergiant and the fifteenth brightest star in the night sky.

Scorpius is a massive constellation that stretches across the Milky Way. Its “stinger” lies near the galaxy’s center, a region dominated by a supermassive black hole. Nearby constellations include Libra, the scales, and Sagittarius, the archer.

Another prominent constellation, Orion, the hunter, is easily identified by its three bright stars, the “Orion’s Belt.” Orion also features Betelgeuse, a red giant, and Rigel, a blue giant. By studying Orion’s “sword,” you can determine the direction of the south.”

“Studying the universe, from its formation to its future, is a fascinating endeavour”, muses Malmi. Most important of all, is to have fun, share stories and in the words of one of his favourite astrophysicists, Mr Neil deGrasse Tyson, “Keep looking up!”.

Malmi’s top tips for stargazing whilst travelling in Sri Lanka

Consider the phase of the moon – the new moon provides optimum conditions for star viewing
Ideally lie back on a reclining chair or on the ground if it is safe and comfortable to do so
Position yourself facing North, South, East or West (your phone will likely have a compass app built in) – to help orientate yourself to the stars you are viewing
For a different set of constellations, wake early at 4am to observe a different side of the night sky

From stars to spotted cats

Today, Malmi keeps his focus a little closer to the earth, working as a wildlife guide at Leopard Trails in Yala. His studies nearly led him into a career of information technology, but a twist of fate brought him the opportunity to become a tourist guide which he readily leapt at, travelling across the island of Sri Lanka to share places of cultural, religious and natural interest with visitors.

Any chance he could get, he would share his love for stargazing and the wonders of the night sky with travellers, and he quickly found synergies with the safari guides in the national parks. Australian zoologist Steve Irwin was a great inspiration to Malmi in his early guiding career, with his boundless energy and inquisitive nature about flora and fauna great and small.

Joining Sri Lanka’s first ever ranger training programme, created by Leopard Trails, he was constantly seeking any chance he could find to expand his knowledge about the natural world. His teachers and mentors credited him with his intellectual curiosity and studious nature, which eventually led him to qualify as an elite safari guide.

Whilst leopard, elephant and Sri Lanka’s abundant birdlife fill his days, Malmi never misses the chance to stop and admire the wonders of the cosmos on a clear night.

After his studies, Malmi’s career nearly led him into Information Technology, before fate brought him an opportunity to become a certified tourist guide leading journeys around Sri Lanka. Here his passion for nature and the night skies grew and grew, and he knew he had found his calling, sharing this magic with travellers from around the globe. Today he specialises in wildlife guiding based at Leopard Trails.