In 1996, ACCIMT hosted the UN/ESA workshop on Basic Space Science which resulted the commissioning of the GOTO 45cm Cassagrain telescope donated by the Japanese Government. This is the largest optical telescope facility available in Sri Lanka which is meant for carrying out basic research studies in astronomy as well as for teaching astronomy to school and university students.
This telescope facility is equipped with a spectrograph, photometer and SBIG ST7 and ST9E CCD cameras. SBIG ST7 CCD camera has been coupled to the spectrograph using a focusing mechanism which was designed and constructed locally. The spectra in the wavelength region from 4000A to 9000A can be obtained with this system.
The photometer of the telescope has RCA IP21 photomultiplier tube with pulse counting system and Johnson and Morgan UBV filters.
