Looking back at Earth from a million miles away,
the Deep Space Climate Observatory will watch the August total solar eclipse
in real time, giving scientists a unique opportunity to study our
solar powered planet. NASA’s Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera,
called EPIC, will capture images of the moon’s shadow
passing over Earth. A team of scientists will combine data from EPIC
with measurements taken on the ground to learn more about how the sun’s energy
is absorbed and reflected in Earth’s atmosphere.
Clouds affect how much of the sun’s energy reaches Earth, which can be difficult
to calculate without knowing how each cloud blocks, absorbs or transmits light.
Like a giant cloud, the moon blocks out the sun’s energy
during the solar eclipse. Because we already know the exact shape
and makeup of the moon, scientists can use the natural phenomenon to develop
new calculations that could improve estimates of Earth’s energy system
and answer questions about Earth’s climate.
NASA has studied the sun and Earth relationship for more than 40 years.
This year, NASA is launching two instruments to further study Earth’s energy system.