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 Année Lumière 2015 Year of Light Algeria



The Cirta Science 9 Trip
A Midwest Adventure

18-25 August 2017
1- Sighting the August 21 Eclipse
2- Visiting Downtown Chicago
3-Touring Fermilab and Argonne Laboratories

This year winners of Cirta-Science 9 had a unique opportunity to sight the All American Eclipse of August 21 from the USA. This total solar eclipse is the first one since 1918 which will cross America from coast to coast and whose path of totality will only cross the USA. In addition to that they faced a huge traffic jam on our way back, with tens of thousands of people trying to get back home further North, in addition to going through a storm which reduced visibility to few meters. A real adventure which took 12 hours to get back home instead of the 5 hours it takes usually.
The Cirta-Science 9 reward trio didn't stop at sighting the eclipse. The trip included visits to several of the most prestigious science facilities in the US, namely Fermilab and Argonne National Observatory, as well as an extensive tour of the Chicago Museum of Science & Industry, the largest of its kind in the Northern hemisphere. Not mentioning the Millennium Park, Willis Tower, the Lincoln Park zoo and other cultural institutions and touristic landscapes.

1-Sighting the August 21, Eclipse


 
See the year's trip to the OHP Observatory and ITER at Cadarache in Southern France

...and that at CERN in Geneva the year before
The All American Eclipse of August 21, 2017
A Midwest Adventure
Pictures by Younes Boudiaf, Chamseddine Mouatsi, Soumaya and Yasser
We are grateful to the Sonatrach Company for its grant in support of the trip.

We also thanks the Cultural Section of the US Embassy at Algiers for financial support as well as Dr.Pamela Gay from the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP) for her great help. We also graciously acknowledge the help of Mike Simmons from AWB.
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Global Report on the Eclipse
with all the data

Prepared by Chamseddine Mouatsi & Smail Beyoud



Le périple de l'équipe de Sirius cette année à travers l'Etat de l'Illinois fut exceptionnel comme chacun des autres périples des éditions précédentes de Cirta-Science, mais cette fois il avait une saveur particulière. L'éclipse solaire totale fut accompagnée de moments forts: la tension à l'approche de la totalité au milieu d'un stade chauffé à blanc par plus de 13.000 spectateurs, mais aussi le retour vers Chicago après l'éclipse qui fut digne d'un roman d'aventures avec une circulation chaotique sur les routes du retour en plus d' une tempête d'une rare violence (Voir plus bas). Non seulement nous partageâmes avec les millions d'Américains cet évènement exceptionnel que constituait l'éclipse totale solaire, mais nous visitâmes des installations scientifiques de premier plan tels que Fermilab, Argonne National Observatory et autres institutions culturelles et paysages exceptionnels...

Pictures below are clickable for higher resolution
Day 1: From Constantine, to Algiers, to O'Hare Intl. Airport, Chicago

Fermilab US Sirius Algeria Science youth sonatrach
Departure to the trip from Houari Boumedienne International Airport at Algiers. A group picture with some of the parents.

Fermilab US Sirius Algeria Science youth sonatrach
What is the best way to go to Chicago from Algeria with a tight budget? A surprising answer is to go to the Middle East and then fly North towards the North pole and then down through Canada. Here flying over the Dubai skyscrapers.
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria
A lengthy 27 hours journey...
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria
View of rugged mountain range from above Iraq.
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria
Tbilissi, the capital of Georgia
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria
Reaching Greenland
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria
Crossing Lake Michigan, and reaching Chicago
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria
Flying over Chicago suburb before landing.
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria
Landing at O'Hare international airport. The three laureates.
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago
Welcomed at the airport by more members of the team: Smail Beyoud at left, a past Sirius president, Chamseddine Mouatsi (Past Sirius Vice President, in white shirt) and Khaled Achahboune who both came by land from Canada.
Day 2: Visit to the Chicago Museum of Science & Industry
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria
The huge Chicago Museum of Science and Industry. Here an aerial view of it.
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria*
Its many wings contain so many exhibits that it can't be visited in one day..
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
Generating tornados for pedagogical purposes.

Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
A nice collection of genuine historical spacecrafts at the Henry Crown Space Center. Here our High School members of the team in front of the Apollo 8 spacecraft which went past the Moon in an lunar orbit, preparing for the Apollo 11 landing mission...
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
The authentic Mercury spacecraft with which Scott Carpenter conducted three Earth orbits in 1962, after the historical flight of John Glenn in June 1961 using a similar capsule and .by which the USA entered the space age.

Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
Electrical "magic" in front of your very eyes.

Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth

Visualizing one's veins and finding the direction of the blood flux.


The Foucault pendulum, a great (In fact the unique) way to prove the Earth's rotation.

Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
Unleashing the great power of induced electricity.
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
The famous Thomson's experiment measuring the electron's electric charge.
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youthA display of aircrafts with the United Airlines Boeing 727 dominating the scene.
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
The British Spitfire fighter, perhaps the best fighter aircraft of WW2 easily matched in performance the German Messerschmitt 109. It is also the only Spitfire on museum display anywhere in the World which saw actual use. It retains its RAF paintings including its five cetified kills (Yellow stars).
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
The Wright brothers machine. Notice the pilot's position.
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
The evolution of the rockets. The later ones are really big!
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
What's this strange space beast? Actual, no cow has ever been in space, and it is just a piece of art.
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
Another view at Mercury MA7 (Aurora 7) capsule.
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
The German Stuka diver bomber used in WW2 with great success.
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
Playing with a spacecraft simulator
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
The power of meditation: Aymen versus Yasser. Aymen Sahli, the young maverick member of the team, was a previous recipient of Cirta-Science contest. He came this time as a self supporting member of Sirius.
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth space
Dream of space
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
In front of a body display of a special kind.

A space creature with human features
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
Younes and Chamseddine in front of the U505, a real captured German submarine.
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
The U505 German submarine
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
Smail and Abderahmane. Behind them is Amine and at right Soumaya.
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
Younes and Khaled

Day 3: Due South towards Carbondale, Il
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago solar
Reaching Carbondale one day before the eclipse, we had ample time to visit the SIU campus and the place where next day we will be watching the eclipse.
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
A beautiful campus with a pre-eclipse Sun, about to have its last setting before D-Day.
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
Touring Campus Lake situated right in the middle of the University.
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
The big AstronomyScience and Technology Expo one of the many activities of the Eclipse festival going on with many stands and sellers and two inflatable planetariums.  It is estimated that some 90.000 came to Carbondale to observe the eclipse.

Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
The WTHI-TV channel from Terre Haute, Kevin Orpurt interviewing the Algerian team in the early morning of the eclipse. This interview of the group can be seen live here (A whopping 6mn; check from 18mn to 24mn). It was rebroadcasted by other TV stations affiliates including CBS. The Annahar TV from Algeria did also a TV segment on the Sirius team trip just before the totality
.

Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
The eclipse's path.Carbondale our observing station was situates at few miles from the point of greatest duration.
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
Day 4: Watching the Eclipse from the Saluki Stadium, Carbondale
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
Most of the Sirius team at the Saluki stadium. Missing are R.M. taking the picture and the group of the Sirius photographic team on the other side of the stadium, in addition to Basma from the Jordanian Astronomical Society.
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
Joining the crowd walking to the Saluki stadium
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
Can you interpret what is written?
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
The Sirius team divided itself in two groups: the photographic team above with Chamseddine the head of it and his assistants Smail and Khaled. The other team was the "spectator" team which joined the people in the stadium...

The three Cirta-Science9 laureates mingling with the locals.

Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
Yasser and Younes
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
The Algerian row in position early in the day.
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
Atmospheric balloons launched at the start of the partial phase to monitor the weather condition.
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
The start of the eclipse.
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
Playing with shadows with a partially eclipsed Sun.
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
A well equipped watcher...
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth

Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
Using more basic technology...
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
As time went on, the stadium filled up to full capacity.
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
Our valiant photographers away from the brouhaha kept taking timed pictures. Great team work.
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
Chamsou making fine adjustments.
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth

Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
The NASA stand broadcasting live with various panels of specialists.


Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
Getting close to totality. Weird lighting conditions. The Sun's ardor was no more there. A noticeable cooling could be perceived.
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
Few seconds before totality. The whole stadium entered into an excited mode.
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
People becoming emotional. Scenes of jubilation.
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
Day dimming to night. Notice a circular sunset effect characteristic of total eclipses
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
Two minutes and 40 seconds of totality falls upon the area.

Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
Threatening clouds were hovering and all were wary of whether they will spoil the instants of totality. Around 1:20 p.m. darkness started wrapping up the stadium, the Sun's disk was nowhere to be seen for 2mn 40s although the corona was lost in the clouds. Suddenly the clouds thinned, the diamond ring appeared followed by a burst of light.
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
We could easily see during totality Jupiter and Sirius.
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
Diamond ring effect.
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
On the side of the photographic team, the darkness has fallen upon them as well.
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
Back to daylight.
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
The Sun is back.
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
Younes joining the Star War characters present at the stadium...
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
Most of the big TV channels were there at Carbondale covering live the event.
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
With Howard Motyl, head of the department of Radio, TV and digital media at the South Illinois University. At right is Basma Diab, the General Secretary of the Jordanian Astronomical Society embedded in the Sirius team.
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth Pamela Gay
Meeting at last with Pamela Gay from the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP), a well known astrophysicist and educator with whom we coordinated the event and who helped us a lot in securing our presence at Carbondale. Here handing her a gift of appreciation in the name of the group.
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago youth
Last display of the flag just outside the stadium where our photographic team were located. The thirteenth member, R.M., is taking the picture.
Sirius USA Eclipse Cirta Science science Algeria Chicago Mouatsi Chmaseddine
And here is the whole sequence...
Philippe Morel ACF Eclipse Sirius
Powerful picture of the extended corona by our friend Philippe Morel, president of AstroClub de France, from Jackson Hole, Wy. It was taken with a 500mm lens and consists 80 stacked images. See in his next picture the intricacies of a solar spot.
Philippe Morel ACF Eclipse Sirius
Day 5: Epic Return : Congested roads and heavy thunderstorm activity

Le Retour

Ainsi l'équipe de treize personnes dont un Marocain et une Jordanienne dans deux voitures fonçant Nord dans la direction de Chicago fut confrontée à une situation passablement chaotique avec embouteillages monstres sur toutes les voies principales de circulation. En effet, des dizaines de milliers d'automobilistes avaient quitté la zone de totalité quasiment simultanément et retournaient aux aussi vers les grands centres urbains de Chicago, Indianapolis, Milwaukee... Nous nous résolûmes à emprunter des voies secondaires, exploitant au mieux le GPS, puis une fois suffisamment avancé, nous nous rabattions à nouveau sur les grands axes routiers mais pour se retrouver à chaque fois hélas nez à nez avec des bouchons constitués d' automobilistes qui avaient quitté la zone de totalité plus tôt encore. La paralysie du trafic était aggravée par le fait que des portions de route étaient en travaux, limitant la circulation à une voie sur de larges segments. Nous repartions de plus belle sur les routes secondaires, parfois des routes de campagne à voie unique, mais dont la faible circulation nous permettait de circuler à grande vitesse, jouant les plus malins que les autres...
 
Au Pays ou les Gens vous Saluent d'un Bonjour de la Main
Nos incursions dans l'hinterland Américain nous fîmes découvrir cet arrière pays ou les gens vous saluent spontanément d'un grand bonjour de la main. En effet cette autre Amérique rurale souriante était assez inattendue et nous rappellait le Bled ou les locaux accueillent l'étranger avec amples salutations et sourires. Mais les nuages devinrent de plus en plus menaçants tandis que le vent soufflait de plus en plus fort, pour que le tout se  transforme assez vite en une véritable tempête avec des trombes d'eau impressionnantes et une visibilité limitée à quelques mètres. Nous poursuivîmes notre route et rejoignîmes finalement l'autoroute principale pour tomber à nouveau sur une circulation intense, mais bien plus au Nord. Ainsi la route du retour prit douze heures au lieu des cinq heures à l'aller, et nous arrivâmes à notre Hôtel à 5h30 du matin. A éclipse exceptionnelle, retour prodige.

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