5 Intriguing Projects in Preparation for the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse from NASA
In preparation for the upcoming total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, NASA is investing in five innovative research projects to maximize the scientific potential offered by this celestial event. These initiatives aim to enhance our understanding of the Sun’s corona, the behavior of radio waves during solar eclipses, the impact of ultraviolet radiation on Earth’s surface, and the identification of solar “hot zones.” Utilizing a combination of high-altitude cameras, spectrometers, ham radios, and community-based research, these investigations will provide valuable insights into the Sun and its influence on our planet.
During the complete solar eclipse, which will cast North America into temporary darkness as the Moon obstructs the Sun’s rays, scientists will have an unprecedented opportunity to study the intricate interactions between the Sun, Earth, and their movements. This extraordinary event will also captivate millions of observers with its breathtaking display in the sky.
To fully capitalize on this unique occasion, NASA is allocating funds to support five comprehensive scientific projects dedicated to the 2024 eclipse. These studies, overseen by scientists from various academic institutions, will employ an array of cutting-edge tools, including high-altitude research planes equipped with cameras and ham radios. Additionally, citizen scientists are encouraged to actively participate in two of the research endeavors.
Peg Luce, acting head of the Heliophysics Division in the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters, expressed excitement about the selection of these five new projects, marking the first American total solar eclipse since seven years prior. The aim is to gain fresh insights into the Sun and its multifaceted impact on Earth through these pioneering research efforts.
Solar eclipses have long served as invaluable opportunities for scientific breakthroughs. Kelly Korreck, a program scientist at NASA Headquarters, highlighted their historical significance, stating that they have contributed to the discovery of helium, provided support for the theory of general relativity, and deepened our understanding of the Sun’s effects on Earth’s upper atmosphere.
As we eagerly anticipate the complete solar eclipse, the upcoming research initiatives promise to unlock new knowledge about the enigmatic Sun, its corona, and the intricate dynamics between celestial bodies that shape our world.
Pursuing the Eclipse using NASA’s High-Altitude Research Aircraft:
One project seeks to photograph the eclipse from a height of 50,000 feet above the surface of the Earth using NASA’s WB-57 high-altitude research aircraft. The team hopes that seeing the eclipse from this vantage point, which is above the majority of the Earth’s atmosphere, would disclose previously unidentified structural details in the center and lower corona. The group will use a high-speed, high-resolution camera that can capture images in both visible and infrared light. These discoveries could help astronomers better understand the Sun’s dust belt and identify asteroids that might orbit the star in close range. This research, led by Amir Caspi at the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, builds on Caspi’s productive endeavor from 2017 by adding a new camera system.
Spectroscopic studies of the Corona and its Airborne Diagnostic imaging:
In order to find out additional information about the temperature and chemical make-up of the corona and coronal mass ejections, or massive blasts of solar material, NASA’s WB-57s will also fly cameras and spectrometers (which examine the overall structure of light). They additionally intend to spend more than two minutes in the darkness of the Moon by hovering in the vicinity of the eclipse. The research group anticipates that these findings are going to shed fresh light on the coronal layers and the origins of the solar wind, the Sun’s continuous stream of electrically charged particles. University of Hawaii professor Shadia Habbal is in charge of the group.
Amateur radio enthusiasts’ “Observing Party”:
Radiation concerning the Sun dislodges electrons from atoms in an upper layer of our atmosphere, creating an ions-charged zone known as a “ionized” sector. The amateur (or “ham”) radio operators who operate all over the world can communicate over vast expanses because they inhabit this region, the ionosphere. Nevertheless, during a solar eclipse, when the Moon covers the Sun, the ionosphere can alter significantly, impairing those connections.
The Impact of the Solar Radiation on Earth’s Top Horizon:
A number of places with SuperDARN detectors are in the path of the eclipse’s deepest shadow. The eclipse presents an unprecedented opportunity to research the effects of solar radiation on the top layers of Earth’s atmosphere throughout the eclipse. The Enhanced Dual Auroral Radar Network keeps track of space atmospheric conditions in uppermost layers of Earth’s atmosphere. Three SuperDARN sensors are to be used as part of an initiative directed by Bharat Kunduri of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University to examine the ionosphere during the solar eclipse. To determine how the ionosphere’s electromagnetic field responds to a solar eclipse, Kunduri’s team will match the results to computer model projections.
