A total solar eclipse lets NASA researchers try out technology that could one day aid in the development of future missions.
However, they must flawlessly complete the experiment in a few short minutes.
Nat: The corona can be studied from
ground based telescopes only during an eclipse.
Whenever an eclipse happens, we make use of it and try to test some of our ideas.
We have only 2 minutes to do the experiment
and we have been preparing for maybe more
than a year. Nelson: Nothing can go wrong. Your camera can't shut down.
You can't press the wrong button. Because there is no time to change your mind
or make an alternate decision.
Nat: We are going to set up the telescope and observe the total solar eclipse
at 4 different wavelengths. The images taken
in these 4 different wavelengths will be used to
determine the temperature and flow speed of the corona
Nelson: We are taking these images using a polarization camera. Which will be a first for us
I think it is the first for the solar physics community.
Once the moon completely covers the sun, the experiment begins.
It's my job to make sure the image is in the field of view.
At the correct time, one
person has to give the command to turn the filter wheel,
and for each filter there is a different exposure time.
Another person has to enter the exposure time.
It's a combined effort of 6 different hands. No one
person can make any errors.
Nat: We do feel the pressure and also the excitement of the eclipse, but still we have
to focus on our experiment.
Nelson: It's a tense feeling, but I believe we will succeed.
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