Iran's Mr. Eclipse has failed to observe the 11 July, 2010 total solar eclipse in Tahiti, French Polynesia due to a blunder at the Dubai International Airport. Hamid Khodashenas and his fifteen-year-old daughter, Sayeh, were not allowed to board the flight from Tehran to Dubai on July 7th, when Emirates Airline authorities in the Imam Khomeini Airport allegedly claimed that they had to obtain transit visa during their three hour stay in Australia. They changed their flights from Tehran to Dubai, then to Hong Kong, then to Auckland and then to Papeete in Tahiti. They flied to Dubai on July 9th, so they could fly to Hong Kong after 11 hours in Dubai airport. But unfortunately, they were not allowed to board the flight from Dubai to New Zealand again, when airport authorities in the Persian Gulf littoral state of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) allegedly claimed that they had to obtain transit visa during their three hour stay in New Zealand. Despite the fact that French Embassy in Iran had issued the French Polynesian visa for Tahiti, they needed to have the Australian transit visa. Hamid requested Australian transit visa on July 7th and Australian Embassy issued the visa on July 12th which was late because the eclipse was on July 11th. Not mentioning the financial loss, the inconvenience incurred great damages to Sayeh Research Institute (SRI) which has carried out scientific research on solar eclipses worldwide over the past decade including the South and North Pole 90 degrees eclipses. Hamid was expected to team up with Jennifer Winter, the US Astronomical tour leader to view the much awaited totality on Tatakoto Island. Hamid Khodashenas has apologized to the eclipse chasers family, and specially Jennifer Winter and Astronomical Tours team, in that he could not send daily reports and make the documentary of this solar eclipse. The films of the 2008 solar eclipse in North Pole, the 2009 solar eclipse in Fiji and Kiribati Island and the 2010 annular solar eclipse in Burma are ready and they will be presented by Sayeh Research Institute soon. Persian Report (ISNA) July 7th - Tehran - Home July 9th - Tehran - Imam Khomeini Airport July 9th - Dubai - Dubai Airport (Terminal 3, Transit)

S ayeh Research Institute (SRI) team (Sayeh means shadow in Persian language) is working round the clock to view the 11, July 2010 total solar eclipse from the land of the Maui in French Polynesia. According to the old stories, Maui was a legendary demi-God or prophet in Tahiti, who forced the Sun to slow down his speed so that men and women have enough time to feed and carry out their works. Hamid Khodashenas, the SRI director general and his daughter Sayeh will leave Tehran for Tahiti next month. From the French Polynesia, the Iranian shadow chasers will fly to Tatakoto Island along with the Astronomical Tour group to observe the totality. Will this diamond ring realize the prominant researcher's dream which kept him shadowing the shadow for over a decade? The answer to the question is anybody's guess.

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I f you are looking for Iran's eclipse man, make sure to find him in the Southeastern Asian state of Myanmar. Unlike previous visits, Iranian eclipse chaser Hamid Khodashenas along with a few eclipse hunters are due to reunite in Burma to sight the longest annular solar eclipse of the 21st century. Iran's Mr. Eclipse is expected to leave Tehran on Friday, 8 January 2010, to view the solar eclipse which lasts eleven minutes and eight seconds. Khodashenas will finalize his ten-day mission after a tour to Burma, starting from Rangoon, the capital city of the Union of Myanmar, now called Yangon and is scheduled to fly back on 23rd of January, 2010. Myanmar's new capital is named Naypyidaw and was unveiled by the ruling government two years ago. The longest annular eclipse of the century takes eight minutes in Burma and is visible as a partial eclipse in Africa, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Asia. Starting at Uganda, the eclipse passes through Nairobi, enters Indian ocean where the greatest eclipse is taking place in mid of Ocean. After that enters Maldives, where it will be second longest with 10.8 Min of viewing before entering and exiting India at Rameswaram. Only place of land under the eclipse on India. The next non-central solar eclipse will be on April 29, 2014 but the longest annular eclipse, according to some experts, will appear some centuries later.

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Total Solar Eclipse July 2009 Fiji and Kiribati Islands
Iranian research team is working to observe the 2009 total solar eclipse on July 22, in Kiribati islands, Pacific Ocean. International astronomers and scientists are preparing to observe the Total solar eclipse which is expected to appear on the Butaritari islet. Prominent experts will go on a ten-day journey, organized by the Astronomical Tours. More ...

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Observing the eclipse from the space?

A new idea has been devised by Iranian researchers a few years ago which sounds feasible and worthwhile: Observing the eclipse from the space.
The abstract of the theory had been introduced to the Solar Eclipse Conference 2007 (SEC) in the United States, Los Angeles by Sayeh Research Institute representative and CEO Hamid Khodashenas in an article.
The idea has been warmly embraced by participants; even through Hamid himself failed to attend the meeting.
Two years on, preliminary studies on the project is gathering momentum and Iranian researchers step up to the plate. The program is intended to launch a comprehensive investigation into the impacts of the phenomena on the globe and shooting the corona from the space.
Yet, before implementing the dream, many questions on the subject should be taken into consideration. Is the project plausible? Will it win high international support? What will be the gains? Please comment.

Posted on Friday | August 14, 2009 | 1:32 AM 63 Comments

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