An outreach programme of CASSA
Durbin
Citizens of a distant universe. The cosmos through the eyes of student volunteers across Bangladesh. A national programme of astrophotography and science communication.
About Durbin
Astronomy that brings people closer
Durbin, Bangla for a telescope, the instrument that makes the distant visible, is CASSA's outreach programme built on astrophotography and science communication. Its student volunteers from across Bangladesh bring the wonders of the universe to the public, using astronomy to foster a universal fraternity that transcends the boundaries of language, nation, religion, gender, and class.
Durbin was founded on 9 March 2023 by Dr. Lamiya Mowla, with initial support from the University of Toronto's Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics. That partnership brought two Unistellar telescopes to IUB, establishing a permanent hub for astronomy outreach in the region. From May 2026, Durbin is supported by a British Council Bangladesh grant through Women of the World.
Contact: durbin.cassa@iub.edu.bd , Farzana Akter Lima, Project Manager
AT A GLANCE
- Objects on display
- 116
- Current volunteers
- 20
- Volunteer alumni
- 19
- Founded
- 9 Mar 2023
The exhibition
Light carried down from the sky
Galaxies, nebulae, star clusters, comets, planets, the full collection imaged through Durbin's telescopes by its volunteers. Open any image to explore its story and capture details.
News & Events
Latest from Durbin
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Even Without Stars, the Sky Had Stories to Tell On 14 July, Durbin carried telescopes to the TSC grounds of the University of Dhaka for the first evening of Asman Jominer Golpo, in partnership with Bhoirobee. Clouds hid every star, so the evening belonged to photographs, memories and the people who told them. -
Two Days, One Sky: Inside the BDOAA Women's Astronomy Olympiad Prep Camp On 10–11 July, CASSA at Independent University, Bangladesh hosted a free two-day camp run jointly by BDOAA and Durbin, introducing girls in Classes 6 to 10 to observational and theoretical astronomy, from hands-on skymaps to photometry. -
আসমান জমিনের গল্প – পর্ব–১: টেলিস্কোপে মহাকাশ দেখা টেলিস্কোপে চোখ রেখে কাছ থেকে চাঁদ, গ্রহ ও দূর মহাকাশ দেখা — বিজ্ঞান, কল্পনা ও অনুভূতির এক অনন্য সন্ধ্যায় ভৈরবীর আমন্ত্রণ, সঙ্গে দূরবীনের টেলিস্কোপ।
Take part
Want to show people the sky?
Durbin runs on volunteers, operating telescopes, processing images, writing, school visits, astronomy nights. New cycles are announced on our Facebook page and CASSA's opportunities page.