Heliodyssey 2008
- What is Heliodyssey 2008?
- HeliOdyssey 2008 is a Student Scientific expedition to Russia to cover the Total Solar Eclipse on August 1, 2008. The expedition will give a unique opportunity for students of India to take part in a competitive examination for selection in the scientific expedition conducted by SPACE to observe and study the Total Solar Eclipse on August 1 from Novosibirsk, Siberia, Russia. The selected candidates will be fully sponsored by SPACE, YES; we will be covering all the travel, accommodation, food, training, costs of the equipments and experiments. This opportunity is unique in India and perhaps in the entire world. By working closely with Astronomers and Scientists from SPACE for this Solar Eclipse, students will have an experience like never before. In addition to enhancing scientific temperament of the students and scientific aptitude, the intercultural interactions with various students from all over India who are part of the expeditions as well as interaction with astronomers from SPACE as well as with astronomers from all over the world will enhance the personality of the students greatly. Viewing the corona of the Sun during the Total Solar Eclipses is also a deeply moving experience and leaves an irreplaceable impression to all who view it.
- SPACE intends to follow all the Total Solar Eclipses all over the world and provide opportunity to as many students as possible through HeliOdyssey competitions during such events.
- HeliOdyssey 2006 expedition covered the Total Solar Eclipse on March 29th 2006 from Antalya, Turkey. It saw a tremendous response from schools and student community and 25 students were selected from all over India. The work carried out by the expedition was presented to the then president of India, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam by the whole team, who highly praised the work.
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- How will the candidates be selected?
- The student candidates will be selected for the expedition on the basis of a nationwide Open Examination which will be held online on 10th May 2008
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- Who is eligible to participate in HeliOdyssey 2008.
- Any Indian student between classes 6th to 12th is eligible to participate in the exam for the getting selected for the expedition. The students will be divided into two categories for the purpose of the examination and selection of winners, i.e Category-I: Classes 6th to 8th and Category II: 9th 12th. The interested student must register for the examination by paying Rs. 500. Please see more details on the registration page here.
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- How many students will be selected from all over India in HeliOdyssey 2008?
- 5 Student will be selected from all over India on the basis of an Open Examination to be conducted online on 10th May 2008. The distribution of selected from the students is as follows:
- 2 Students from Category I: 6th to 8th class.
- 2 students from category II: 9th to 12th class.
- 1 Student who is a members of Space Clubs 2007-2008 or 2008-2009 batch.
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- What are the important dates and deadlines for HeliOdyssey 2008?
- Registration Opens: 10th April 2008
- Last Date of Registration: 25th April 2008, by 5 PM IST.
- Date of Online Examination: 10th May 2008
- Result Announcement: 15th May 2008
- Passport Details Furnishing Deadline: 7th June 2008 (selected candidates should be able to provide their passport no. latest by this date)
- Expedition: Tentative dates (28th July to 3rd August 2008)
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- Who all will be going:
- The expedition members will comprise of:
- Top 5 candidates selected on the basis of online competition.
- Team of about 20 Astronomers from SPACE
- Team of Media Personnel
- What will the selected candidates do during the Expedition?
- The selected students will be trained by our experts in various aspects of the Total Solar Eclipse such as science of the eclipse, systematic observations of eclipse, setting up and conducting experiments, video and still photography of the eclipse. Students will then be assigned specific experiments and will be working with our team to conduct those experiments during the eclipse and collect the scientific data. In addition to this Students will also get to interact with other Astronomers from all over the world present at the eclipse site and Locals from the town and interact with them to explore the various myths associated with the Solar Eclipses.
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- What are the experiments and observations which will be conducted?
- Experiments:
- Contact Timings
- Shadow Band Photography
- Temperature Variation during the eclipse
- Coronal Photography
- Behaviour of Ionosphere during the Eclipse using Radio.
- Recording and Timing of Baileys Beads phenomenon just before totality and after totality.
- Recording 'Flash Spectrum' of the sun's corona during totality.
- Apart from this, many other useful experiments are being evaluated by the SPACE team and can find their way in. You can also suggest any experiment by mailing us at heliodyssey@space-india.org.
- Observations
- Experiencing the eclipse through your own senses such as visual is the most enriching part of the Total Solar eclipse. We are looking forward to lot of observations:
- Various contacts of Moon with the Sun
- Shadow Bands
- Sky suddenly getting dark in the middle of the day for a brief duration.
- Diamond Ring
- Baileyes Beads
- Corona, the atmosphere of the Sun
- Viewing planets such as Mercury and Venus in the Daytime and many other bright stars during Totality.
- Birds and Animals retreating to their homes getting confused by the darkness
- Experience the thrill of rapidly falling temperature as the moon covers the sun.
- Hearing the excitement of other observers.
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- If I don't get selected for the expedition, Can I pay and be a part of it?
- No. HeliOdyssey 2008 participation is strictly on competitive examination basis. However after May 2008, you may register with Space as a SPACE Eclipse Chaser group and avail various benefits available to its members.
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Registration and Payment Process:
- How much is the registration fee for the HeliOdyssey 2008?
- Registration fee for the examination is Rs. 500. Members of the current Space Club students (2007-2008 batch) can register at a discounted rate of Rs. 400
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- How can I register for myself for the competition?
- The entire registration process is mentioned on this page
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- Have you received my registration form and payment?
- In case you have sent the form and payment by Draft, please wait for two days and then check this page know if we have received your check or not. In case even after that, your name does not appear, please call this number ###########
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- Do I need to have a valid passport to register or take part in HeliOdyssey 2008?
- The answer is Yes and No. NO you don't need a valid passport at the time of registration but YES, you need to have one if you are selected. We suggest that you quickly apply for your passport in anticipation, even before the result of the competition is announced as making a passport itself is a long process and after that the visa process will also take about 45 days.
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- Is the online payment transaction safe and secure?
- Yes, our website ensures that the credit card or debit card information is safely transmitted to our bank for the purpose of payment collection. Our online payment facility is managed by PayPal which is considered one of the safest way to pay online. SPACE does not receive any credit card information. However we suggest that you use general precautions while making payment through credit cards online.
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- Where to contact in case of any difficulties during registration process?
- Incase you face any technical problems during the registration you can call up our HeliOdyssey Technical Helpdesk on Monday to Saturday for assistance at call us at 011-45086320, 011-41574592 or live chat with us on yahoo messenger by adding any of the profiles heliodyssey3, heliodyssey4 and heliodyssey5 as contacts.
Examination Process:
- Where will the HeliOdyssey 2008 examination held and what is the examination process?
- The examination will be conducted online on your very own web-browser. The participants can give the examination from any internet enabled PC either from their home, cyber cafe or school etc. The exact hardware and software requirements are specified in the answer to the next question. Each registered participant will be provided a username and password, with which they will have to log on to our examination page using their web browser on the day of the examination at the time specified. The online testing software will then automatically download on to the participant’s web-browser and the participant can begin the test. After finishing the test, the answers have to be submitted to us through the internet and the marks scored by the participant are displayed on their PC. Please read the exact procedure of the examination here.
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- What are the hardware / software requirement for the online examination?
- You will need the following which is very common PC setup in today's age:-
- Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher (or any other internet browser with the appropriate version of flash player installed)
- Flash Player 7.0 or higher (Click here to download flash player)
- Minimum Screen Resolution 1024 x 768 (To set screen Resolution See Demo).
- Microsoft Windows Operating System
- P-4, 1Ghz processor
- Power Backup
- Internet Connection
- Please also ensure that you have a reliable power backup system such as a Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) system which can provide you enough backup to finish your examination and submit the results. At no point of time after you begin the test and before you submit the test should you let the system shut down.
- Once you have all the requirements in place, we suggest that you check your system by giving a mock test on 2nd may. We strongly suggest that you take the mock test on the system you intend to use on the day of the test to avoid any surprises.
- Incase you face any technical problems during the online test you can call up our HeliOdyssey Technical Helpdesk for assistance at call us at 011-45086320, 011-41574592 or live chat with us on yahoo messenger by adding any of the profiles heliodyssey1, heliodyssey2, heliodyssey3, heliodyssey4, heliodyssey5 and heliodyssey6 as contacts.
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- What is the duration of the test?
- 60 minutes. The participants will have to finish the test within 60 minutes of beggining the test. The 60 minute countdown timer will begin after you press "Begin Test" button. The online test software will automatically stop allowing any more changes to the answers after this duration has lapsed. The user will then have to reconnect to the internet and then submit the test results by pressing the "Submit Test" button.
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- How many questions will be there and of what type?
- In total, there will be 50 multiple choice questions. Here is the distribution of questions:
- 15 General Science Questions
- 15 General Astronomy Questions
- 15 Questions on Logic and General Knowledge
- 5 Questions on Scientific Temperament
- Each question will have 4 choices, out of which only 1 will be correct.
- Each question will carry 1 mark.
- The total test will be of 50 marks.
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- Is there any negative marking in the test for providing incorrect answers?
- No there will be no negative marking for incorrect answers?
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- Can I go back and change my answers?
- Yes, you can shift forward and backward within the questions and even answer the questions in any sequence. You can even change any answer if you feel the need. All you have to ensure is that you have to do so within the 60 minutes provided for the test, no inputs or changes will be accepted by the Online Test Software after this duration.
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- What is the syllabus for the HeliOdyssey online test?
- The syllabus for the test is: General Science, General Astronomy, Logic and General Knowledge & scientific temperament. But however is not restricted to the text book. Please see the questions about the Sample Test Paper Sample Test 6-8 & Sample Test 9-12 and also give the Mock Test on 2nd may.
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- Is there any Sample Test Paper available?
- Yes, you will be able to access a sample test paper giving you an idea of what types of questions are expected in the Online Test. You can access it
Sample Test 6-8 & Sample Test 9-12. Please note that this sample test paper can only give you some idea about the level and type of questions expected in the Online Test. It cannot mimic the feeling of the online test. To have a feeling of giving an online test, we suggest that you give the mock test on 2nd may.
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- I have never given an online test before, is there a way I can practise giving it OR is there any mock test available?
- Yes, SPACE has provided a Mock Test which we recommend you to give on 2nd may. You can give this mock test using the same user ID and Password that will be E-Mailed to you for the final test. This will give you an idea of the questions as well as the exact testing process you are going to face on the day of the actual test. We also recommend that you take this mock test on the actual computer system which you intend to use during the day of the examination, doing so will help you find out if your system is compatible and has the necesary hardware and software requirements or not. Incase you face any technical problem, you can always contact the HeliOdessy Technical Helpdesk
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- What if my internet connection breaks during the test?
- Incase your internet connection breaks after logging in but before the test completely downloads on your system, you can reconnect and relogin, the Online Test Software will download process will begin once again. The complete testing process is given on this page.
- Incase your internet connection breaks anytime after the test has finished downloading on your web-browser, such as you can see the "Begin Test" button or you are already giving the test, you can continue to give the test. Once you complete the test and you can see the "Submit Test" button, just reconnect to the internet and press the "Submit Test" button. Incase, you have finished the test but have trouble connecting to the internet, please continue attempting to do so, but DO NOT CLOSE THE BROWSER WINDOW in which you are giving the test. You will have to submit the tests
within 5 hours of pressing the Begin Test button.
Results
- When will the results be announced?
Selection Process and prizes
- What is the selection process for the HeliOdyssey 2008 expedition?
- The students will be selected on the basis of merit. The minimum criterion for qualification for the prize is to score 75% marks in the exam. The merit list will be prepared only for the qualifying participants.
- What are the prizes for the participants of the HeliOdyssey online examination?
- The prises are for top 100 scorers within the merit list.
- First Prize - 5 Winners: HeliOdyssey 2008 Total Solar Eclipse expedition to Russia, the expedition will be fully sponsored for these students. Out of 5 students, 2 students will be selected from category I i.e. classes 6th to 8th and 2 will be selected from classes 9th to 12th. 1 seat will be reserved for the present SPACE members. SPACE members will also be considered for the other two classes of seats.
- Second Prize - 10 Winners: A personal 75mm Space View reflector telescope.
- Third Prize - 20 Winners: Science Astro-Kit.
- Fourth Prize - 30 Winners: 8X21 Binoculars.
- Fifth Prize - 35 Winners: Telescope Making Kit.
- Each participant will get a certificate of participation.
Visa and Passport
- What if I don't have a valid passport?
- Please check this answer a question in 'Registration and Payment Process' section above.
- Will SPACE be helping me get a Russian Visa? What if I am selected but do not get a Russian Visa?
- SPACE will forward the Visa application to the Russian Embassy for the selected candidates, however the approval or rejection of the Visa is entirely up to the discretion of the Russian embassy. In case the selected candidate does not get a Russian Visa, the seat will offer to next best candidate based on the merit.
Travel and Accommodation
- Where will the selected candidates gather before the expedition?
- Will SPACE bear the cost of travel & stay within India for the selected candidates?
Total Solar Eclipse of 1st August 2008
- What is a Solar Eclipse and how does it happen?
- A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth so that the Sun is wholly or partially obscured. This can only happen during a new moon, when the Sun and Moon are in conjunction as seen from the Earth. Up to four solar eclipses occur each year, but total solar eclipses are nevertheless rare at any location because during each eclipse totality exists only in the relatively tiny area of the Moon's umbra. To know more about solar eclipses, go to http://www.mreclipse.com/Special/SEprimer.html
- What is the difference between a partial and a total Solar Eclipse?
- During a partial Solar Eclipse, only part of the sun's visible disk gets obscured by the moon and the faint Corona - the atmosphere of the Sun is not visible, while on the other hand during a Total Solar Eclipse, the complete photosphere (the visible disk of the Sun) of the Sun gets hidden behind the moon for a short duration, as a result the sky gets dark and this gives an opportunity to view the beautiful Corona surrounding the Sun. A total solar eclipse is a one of the most spectacular natural phenomenon and many people travel to remote locations to observe one.
- Can I have more information about the Total Solar Eclipse on 1st August 2008?
- The eclipse will happen on Friday, 1st August 2008. The path of the Total Solar Eclipse will be begin in Canada and travel through northern Greenland, the Arctic, central Russia, Mongolia, and finally end with sunset in China. Most part of the world will be able to see a partial Solar Eclipse, including large parts of Asia and India. The duration of the total solar eclipse will be maximum in the northern part of Russia near the city of Nadym. The duration of the maximum totality is 2 minutes 27 seconds.
- Why has SPACE chosen Novosibirsk, Russia as the destination for HeliOdyssey 2008?
- The Russian city of Novosibirsk - which SPACE has chosen for the HeliOdyssey 2008 - lies only 18 km from the central line of the eclipse and is one of the most favorable destinations for the eclipse of 1st August 2008 internationally. It has an international airport and being a populous city has many other logistical support and facilities available. The city of Hami, China also has comparable weather prospects but is not as easily accessible as Novosibirsk.
- What are the prospects of the eclipse from Novosibirsk, Russia?
- The midpoint of Novosibirsk will experience 2 minutes 18 seconds of totality. Totality occurs at 10:45 UT with the Sun’s altitude at 30°
- Is it safe to observe Solar Eclipses?
- The answer is that it depends on how you are observing it. First of all we would like to say that you should never observe the Sun or Partial phase of the Solar eclipse with naked eyes or any optical instruments or through home made filters as it can cause irreversible damage to the eyes. The HeliOdyssey 2008 team will be observing the eclipse with the highest quality solar filters and under the expert supervision of SPACE. The total phase of the Solar Eclipse is absolutely safe to look at but care should be taken to look away from the sun just before the totality ends.
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