NASA will fund five interdisciplinary projects for April 8, 2024, total solar eclipse, enabling groundbreaking scientific discoveries. Researchers from academic institutions will use advanced tools like high-altitude research plane cameras and ham radios. These projects will investigate the Sun’s corona, radio wave propagation, solar radiation’s effects on Earth’s upper atmosphere, and solar “hot spot” activity. They enhance our understanding of the Sun’s nature and its impact on our planet.
On April 8, next year a total solar eclipse will cast a captivating shadow over a vast region of North America. Lasting only briefly, this celestial event provides a remarkable opportunity for scientists to study the intricate interplay between the Sun, and Earth, and their dynamics.
Peg Luce, acting director of NASA’s Heliophysics Division, expressed enthusiasm for five new projects studying the 2024 eclipse. These experiments will uncover valuable insights into the Sun’s impact on Earth, following seven years after the last American total solar eclipse.
Total solar eclipses offer a unique opportunity to observe the Sun’s wispy outer atmosphere, known as the corona, as the Moon completely obscures the Sun’s face.
Solar eclipses have played a vital role in scientific breakthroughs, as stated by Kelly Korreck, NASA Headquarters’ program scientist. They facilitated the discovery of helium, supported the theory of general relativity, and deepened our comprehension of the Sun’s influence on Earth’s upper atmosphere.
Amir Caspi at the Southwest Research Institute is leading a project using NASA’s WB-57 high-altitude research aircraft to capture high-resolution eclipse images from 50,000 feet above Earth. This perspective will unveil new details of the middle and lower corona, while also studying a Sun dust ring and searching for Sun-orbiting asteroids.
Through Aerial Imaging and Spectral Analysis of the Corona, NASA’s WB-57s will use cameras and spectrometers to study the corona, coronal mass ejections, and their temperature, composition, and structures. Flying along the eclipse path, they aim to increase their time in the Moon’s shadow by over two minutes. Led by Shadia Habbal of the University of Hawaii, the team seeks new insights into the corona and the origins of the solar wind.
