April’s total solar eclipse is set to be a major scientific event, with experts anticipating significant discoveries due to the moon’s close proximity to Earth and the sun’s potential heightened activity. The eclipse will cast a long period of darkness, with totality stretching from Mexico to the U.S. to Canada, providing a densely populated observation area for researchers.
Hundreds, if not thousands, of spectators are expected to participate as “citizen scientists,” assisting research groups in gaining a better understanding of our planet and star. Rockets equipped with science instruments will be launched into the ionosphere during the eclipse to gather crucial data. Additionally, NASA’s high-altitude jets will be chasing the moon’s shadow with improved telescopes to study the sun’s corona and surrounding dust.
College students will be launching over 600 weather balloons along the eclipse track to study atmospheric changes. In Texas, a 21-foot kite will carry a science instrument to observe the sun without any interference from clouds. Scientists are particularly interested in studying the corona during this eclipse, as its extreme temperatures remain a mystery.
The eclipse will commence in the Pacific Ocean before making landfall in Mazatlán, Mexico, and then progressing through various U.S. states into Canada. With the sun at its maximum solar activity, researchers anticipate more action, possibly even a coronal mass ejection. Two new spacecraft, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe and the European Space Agency and NASA’s Solar Orbiter, will be closely observing the sun during the eclipse. U.S. radar sites typically used for monitoring space weather will also focus on observing the upper atmosphere during this significant event.
