Indian scientists study eclipse from Arctic

While people across the country observed only a partial solar eclipse, a team of Indian scientists took the benefit of the newly-opened scientific station near the North Pole and travelled to the Arctic to view the complete eclipse and perform experiments.

Dr S M Bhandari, a retired scientist from Space Application Centre, Ahmedabad, and Dr C G Deshpande of the Indian Institute of Tropical Management, Pune, observed the eclipse from India8217;s station in Ny-Alesund in Norway, just 1,200 km from the North Pole. Their experiments included an attempt to measure total ozone using microtops instrument and digital imaging of shadow bands generated by the thin crescent of the sun. They also had an agreement with a German institute to launch radiosonde and ozonesonde balloons which provide high-resolution wind profile apart from meteorological parameters. While the radiosonde and ozonesonde observations went off well, the scientists were not able to make shadow band observations and microtops measurements because of slightly overcast sky, according to information received from the Goa-based National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research which runs the station in the Arctic.

The polar regions offer a spectacular view of such celestial incidents, mainly because they can be viewed for a much longer period than from any other part of the earth. A few years ago, Indian scientists had carried out experiments during a similar solar eclipse from the Antarctic where India has a permanent base. That observation had went off quite well with scientists able to get a rich amount of data. India opened its first permanent station in the Arctic last month, becoming the tenth country in the world to do so.