HELYCON– "HEllenic LYceum Cosmic Observatories Network" is a cosmic ray telescope which utilizes, instead of light,  extensive air showers produced when cosmic rays (subatomic particles or nuclei of cosmic origin) interact with the earth atmosphere. The telescope, in full deployment, will consist of an extended network of detector stations, installed on roofs of Lyceum and  University buildings in the areas of Patras, Thessaloniki, Chios island and Nicosia in Cyprus.

HELYCON is a research infrastructure contributing to the observation of extraterrestrial space and collecting information related to the fundamental physics laws that shape the evolution of the Universe. In parallel it provides a platform for the development of novel educational approaches including the use of  HELYCON to transfer new scientific knowledge to schools and to develop  scientific outreach programs.

The detectors of the telescope are constructed in the Physics Laboratory of the Hellenic Open University in collaboration with scientists from University of Patras, Aegean University, University of Cyprus, National Technical University of Athens, Aristotelian University of Thessaloniki and from the NCSR "DEMOKRITOS".

Significant contribution in the development of novel educational programs (transfer of new scientific knowledge to schools) offers the Hestia of Science in Patras.

HELYCON is one of the founding members of  EUROCOSMICS, a collaboration of European Universities and Research Institutes that aim at developing an extensive network of cosmic ray telescopes, deployed on High Schools across Europe.