What scientists hope to learn from a total solar eclipse in the United States

NASA is one of the agencies preparing for the solar eclipse (representative)

When a rare total solar eclipse sweeps across North America on April 8, scientists will be able to collect valuable data on everything from the sun’s atmosphere to strange animal behavior and even possible effects on humans.

It comes as the Sun approaches the peak of its 11-year solar cycle, setting the stage for a stunning display: The corona will shine spectacularly from the Moon’s silhouette along the path of totality, a path that stretches from Mexico through the United States to Canada. corridor.

A total solar eclipse provides “incredible scientific opportunities,” NASA Associate Administrator Pam Melroy said during a news conference on the celestial event this week.

NASA is among the agencies preparing for the eclipse, planning to launch so-called “sounding rockets” to study the impact of the eclipse on Earth’s upper atmosphere.

Here’s what researchers hope to learn about the upcoming solar eclipse:

sun atmosphere

Melroy said Tuesday that the elusive outermost edge of the sun’s atmosphere, or corona, will be visible in “a very special way” when the moon passes directly in front of the sun and blocks it.

“We don’t fully understand what’s going on with COVID,” she said.

The heat within the corona increases with distance from the sun’s surface, a counterintuitive phenomenon that scientists have difficulty fully understanding or explaining.

Solar flares are sudden bursts of energy that release radiation into space, and they occur in the corona, as do solar prominences, giant plasma structures that circulate from the sun’s surface.

During a solar eclipse, the very bottom of the corona – where much of this activity occurs – is more clearly visible than when specialized instruments are used to block out the central part of the sun, providing excellent research opportunities, said Shannon Schmohl of Michigan State University. Brahms Planetarium Director.

Researchers are particularly excited that the Sun is nearing the peak of its 11-year cycle.

“The chances that we’ll see something amazing are very high,” Melroy said.

Earth’s atmosphere

This total solar eclipse will also give scientists the opportunity to study changes in the upper part of Earth’s atmosphere, known as the ionosphere, which is important because it affects radio waves used for communications and navigation.

“Interference at this level could cause problems with GPS and communications,” said Kelly Korreck, eclipse program manager at NASA Headquarters.

The ionosphere, where Earth’s atmosphere meets space, is affected by the sun, which charges particles there during the day.

Three NASA sounding rockets will launch from Virginia before, during and after the eclipse to measure these changes.

The dramatic reduction in sunlight caused by a solar eclipse – faster and more concentrated than a simple sunset – should allow researchers to learn more about how light affects the ionosphere so that they can better predict potentially problematic disturbances.

animal behavior

Shocking animal behavior was noticed during the solar eclipse: giraffes ran, while roosters and crickets began to crow and chirp.

In addition to the reduction in sunlight, the temperatures and winds to which animals are sensitive are also significantly reduced during an eclipse.

Andrew Farnsworth, an ornithology researcher at Cornell University in New York, studies how solar eclipses affect birds, using weather surveillance radar to detect birds in flight.

Farnsworth told reporters that during the last total solar eclipse visible in the United States in August 2017, scientists observed “a decrease in the number of animals flying around.”

Experts say the 2017 eclipse disrupted the daily activities of insects and birds, but did not trigger usual animal nocturnal behaviors such as bird migrations or the emergence of bats.

This time, he said, it may be easier for birds to migrate during the eclipse, given that it’s April.

“These patterns are important for understanding the way animals perceive the world,” Farnsworth said.

human miracle

“Solar eclipses have a special power. They create a sense of awe at the beauty of our universe,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson told reporters.

Researchers studied this feeling of awe in 2017, using data from nearly 3 million Twitter users (now known as X).

Paul Piff, a psychology professor at the University of California, Irvine, said those on the so-called “holistic path” tend to use the pronoun “we” (rather than “I”) and express concerns about others. .

“We found that experiences that bring about awe… seem to align people and connect us to each other and to entities larger than ourselves,” Piff said.

This year, he plans to study whether the experience had any impact on sociopolitical divisions.

citizen scientist

About 40 citizen science projects are planned around the eclipse, ranging from using phone apps to record temperature and cloud cover to recording ambient noise during the event.

“We encourage you to help NASA observe the sights and sounds around you,” Nelson said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)