Helios

Helios is a scientific application designed to unite Solar Amateur Observers around the world, by gathering information of their observations to a common place for further analysis. The data from the observations is send to a server and then it is processed to create graphics using MRTG (Multi Router Traffic Grapher).

How does it work?

1. When an Observer makes a new daily observation and logs down his results in the Helios application, he has the ability to send the data to the WWSOS (World Wide Solar Observation Server) server.
2. If the Observer uses an Android mobile phone, the phone number is used as a unique identification number by the application and allows one Observer to communicate with another Observer or other Observers via SMS messages.
3. If the Observer uses an Android tablet PC without GSM capabilities the application uses the tablet's model as a unique identification number but lucks the capability to communicate with others.
4. When new data reaches the server, a poller application plots the user's data and presents a graph within 5 minutes. The unique id is used to identify the graph that corresponds to the Observer.
5. The server assumes that a normal observation time will last for at least (1) one hour. If no further data, is received within the allowed time, the graph's data value is reset to (0) zero.