The Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) launched a total of 10 Rohini series indigenous sounding rockets from the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station here and the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota to investigate the effects of the longest annular solar eclipse of this 
millennium, which occurred on Friday, on the earth’s atmosphere. On Thursday, the VSSC launched two sounding rockets each of the type RH 300 Mk II and RH 200, and on Friday, three sounding rockets of the type RH 300 Mk II and two sounding rockets of RH 200 from Thumba. The RH 300 Mk II rockets can shoot to a peak altitude of 116 km above the earth and the RH 200 to a peak altitude of 70 km. The VSSC also launched a larger Rohini rocket of the RH 560 Mk II series from Sriharikota on Friday. These rockets are capable of reaching a peak altitude of 548 km. The eclipse assumed annular condition at 1.14 p.m. over Thumba. The maximum obscuration of 91 per cent of the sun occurred at 11.15 p.m. The annular phase of the eclipse lasted about 11 minutes and eight seconds over Thumba. The firing of the sounding rockets was scheduled so as to collect relevant data on atmospheric structure and dynamics at different altitudes from the earth before, during and after the eclipse.
For further: www.hindu.com/2010/01/16/stories/2010011661502200.htm
millennium, which occurred on Friday, on the earth’s atmosphere. On Thursday, the VSSC launched two sounding rockets each of the type RH 300 Mk II and RH 200, and on Friday, three sounding rockets of the type RH 300 Mk II and two sounding rockets of RH 200 from Thumba. The RH 300 Mk II rockets can shoot to a peak altitude of 116 km above the earth and the RH 200 to a peak altitude of 70 km. The VSSC also launched a larger Rohini rocket of the RH 560 Mk II series from Sriharikota on Friday. These rockets are capable of reaching a peak altitude of 548 km. The eclipse assumed annular condition at 1.14 p.m. over Thumba. The maximum obscuration of 91 per cent of the sun occurred at 11.15 p.m. The annular phase of the eclipse lasted about 11 minutes and eight seconds over Thumba. The firing of the sounding rockets was scheduled so as to collect relevant data on atmospheric structure and dynamics at different altitudes from the earth before, during and after the eclipse.For further: www.hindu.com/2010/01/16/stories/2010011661502200.htm
