AGU Press Conference - Eclipse 2017: Studying the Sun-Earth Connection and More from the Moon’s Shadow

  • Released Monday, December 11th, 2017
  • Updated Wednesday, May 3rd, 2023 at 1:47PM
  • ID: 12789

While people across North America took in the Aug. 21 eclipse, hundreds of citizen, student, and professional scientists were collecting scientific data. They gathered data with telescopes on the ground, balloons launched to the stratosphere, jets chasing the Moon’s shadow, and satellites far above Earth. In this panel, participants will share some of the initial results from a cross-section of these studies, in fields ranging from solar physics to Earth science to space biology.

Panelists:
• Lika Guhathakurta, NASA Headquarters/NASA Ames Research Center
• Amir Caspi, Southwest Research Institute
• Matt Penn, National Solar Observatory
• Angela Des Jardins, Montana State University
• Greg Earle, Virginia Tech
• Jay Herman, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center/University of Maryland Baltimore County

Footage captured by a drone during the 2017 eclipse. Credit: Melrae Pictures, LLC.

Animation illustrating the NASA observatories that witnessed the 2017 eclipse. Credit: NASA/Jenny Mottar

White light image of the solar corona taken from Mitchell, Oregon, on 21 August 2017, by Peter Aniol, Miloslav Druckmuller and Shadia Habbal. Image was processed by M. Druckmuller. Funding for the eclipse observations was provided primarlly from a grant from NASA and partially by NSF to the University of Hawaii, S. R. Habbal, PI. Peter Aniol (ASTELCO, Germany) provided the optical systems for this white light image. Credit: Peter Aniol, Miloslav Druckmüller and Shadia Habbal

White light image of the solar corona taken from Mitchell, Oregon, on 21 August 2017, by Peter Aniol, Miloslav Druckmuller and Shadia Habbal. Image was processed by M. Druckmuller. Funding for the eclipse observations was provided primarlly from a grant from NASA and partially by NSF to the University of Hawaii, S. R. Habbal, PI. Peter Aniol (ASTELCO, Germany) provided the optical systems for this white light image. Credit: Peter Aniol, Miloslav Druckmüller and Shadia Habbal

Video demostrating the variety of wavelengths available from the Solar Dynamics Observatory Credit: NASA/SDO

Caspi used a telescope aboard NASA’s WB-57 jet to study the Sun during the Aug. 21 eclipse. Credit: NASA/SwRI/Amir Caspi

Visible light data gathered during the Aug. 21 eclipse by a telescope aboard NASA’s WB-57 jet. Raw data is on the left, and processed data is on the right. Credit: NASA/SwRI/Amir Caspi/Dan Seaton

Infrared light data gathered during the Aug. 21 eclipse by a telescope aboard NASA’s WB-57 jet. Credit: NASA/SwRI/Amir Caspi/Dan Seaton

Data collected by Citizen CATE during the 2017 eclipse. Credit: Citizen CATE Experiment 2017 Team

Data collected by Citizen CATE during the 2017 eclipse. Credit: Citizen CATE Experiment 2017 Team

Data collected by Citizen CATE during the 2015 eclipse. Credit: Citizen CATE Experiment 2017 Team

Data collected by Citizen CATE during the 2015 eclipse. Credit: Citizen CATE Experiment 2017 Team

Data collected by Citizen CATE during the 2016 eclipse. Credit: Citizen CATE Experiment 2017 Team

Data collected by Citizen CATE during the 2016 eclipse. Credit: Citizen CATE Experiment 2017 Team

Data collected by Citizen CATE during the 2017 eclipse. Credit: Citizen CATE Experiment 2017 Team

Data collected by Citizen CATE during the 2017 eclipse. Credit: Citizen CATE Experiment 2017 Team

Citizen CATE volunteer Fred Isberner set up a test telescope in the Faroe Islands in 2015. Credit: Citizen CATE Experiment 2017 Team

Citizen CATE volunteer Fred Isberner set up a test telescope in the Faroe Islands in 2015. Credit: Citizen CATE Experiment 2017 Team

Music credit: Foxy Trot by Luis Enriquez Bacalov

Complete transcript available.

Watch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel.

Credit: NASA GSFC/Genna Duberstein/CIL/Krystofer Kim

Greg Earle collected ionosphere data during the eclipse using both pre-existing radar sites and custom-constructed antenna sites. Credit: Virginia Tech

Greg Earle collected ionosphere data during the eclipse using both pre-existing radar sites and custom-constructed antenna sites. Credit: Virginia Tech

The ionosphere affects how communications signals propagate. Credit: Virginia Tech

The ionosphere affects how communications signals propagate. Credit: Virginia Tech

Earle and his team used computer models to predict how the range of radio signals would change during the eclipse. Credit: Virginia Tech

Earle and his team used computer models to predict how the range of radio signals would change during the eclipse. Credit: Virginia Tech

Earle and his team collected data on the range of radio signals during the eclipse. Credit: Virginia Tech

Earle and his team collected data on the range of radio signals during the eclipse. Credit: Virginia Tech

The Eclipse Ballooning Project sent back live views of the Aug. 21 eclipse from the edge of space. Credit: Montana Space Grant Consortium

Understanding the hardiness of bacteria is key for making sure we don’t contaminate other planets, like Mars. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

Understanding the hardiness of bacteria is key for making sure we don’t contaminate other planets, like Mars. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

A small metal card used to transport bacteria, also known as a “coupon”.Credits: NASA/Ames Research Center/Tristan Caro

A small metal card used to transport bacteria, also known as a “coupon”.

Credits: NASA/Ames Research Center/Tristan Caro

The planetary boundary layer is the lowest part of our atmosphere. Its typical behavior on a normal day is shown in blue, while data from Aug. 21 is shown in purple. Credit: Montana State Grant Consortium

The planetary boundary layer is the lowest part of our atmosphere. Its typical behavior on a normal day is shown in blue, while data from Aug. 21 is shown in purple. Credit: Montana State Grant Consortium

NASA’s Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera, or EPIC, on board NOAA’s Deep Space Climate Observatory captured this view of the Aug. 21 eclipse over Casper, Wyoming. Credit: DSCOVR/EPIC

NASA’s Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera, or EPIC, on board NOAA’s Deep Space Climate Observatory captured this view of the Aug. 21 eclipse over Casper, Wyoming. Credit: DSCOVR/EPIC

Scientists saw a 10% drop in reflected light during the eclipse. Credit: GSFC/UMBC/JCET/Jay Herman

Scientists saw a 10% drop in reflected light during the eclipse. Credit: GSFC/UMBC/JCET/Jay Herman

Credits

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

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