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At least 37 records · Page 2
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1970

1970 Solar Eclipse Sounding Rocket Project

Solar eclipse sounding rocket study of totality path over Wallops Station for 7 March 1970 event, discussing payload launch, ground support equipment, planning, etc

J W Gray↗
NASA NTRS2009

Five Millennium Catalog of Solar Eclipses: -1999 to +3000 (2000 BCE to 3000 CE)-Revised

This catalog is a supplement to the "Five Millennium Canon of Lunar Eclipses. "It includes additional information for each eclipse that could not be included in the original publication because of size limits. The data tabulated for each eclipse include the catalog number, canon plate number, calendar date, Terrestrial Dynamical Time of greatest eclipse, (Delta)T, lunation number, Saros number, eclipse type, Quincena Solar Eclipse parameter, gamma, penumbral and umbral eclipse magnitudes, durations of penumbral, partial and total eclipse phases, and geographic coordinates of greatest eclipse(latitude and longitude). The Canon and the Catalog both use the same solar and lunar ephemerides as well as the same values of (Delta)T. This 1-to-1 correspondence between them will enhance the value of each. The researcher may now search, evaluate, and compare eclipses graphically (Canon) or textually (Catalog).

Espenak, Fred↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Leveraging the 2024 Solar Eclipse to Enhance Science Learning through Citizen Science

The solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, provided a rare and compelling opportunity for educators and students to engage in hands-on citizen science. Two NASA Science Activation projects GLOBE Mission Earth (GME) and NASA Earth Science Education Collaborative (NESEC) partnered together to provide a unique professional development experience for educators interested in the eclipse. They invited educators to participate in a specialized 5-week online workshop designed to engage the educators in Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) citizen science about the eclipse. The workshop was designed to support their certification as GLOBE educators and develop their knowledge, skills, and confidence in conducting a GLOBE investigation. Over 60 educators from across the United States took part in this workshop, which focused on investigating the eclipse by collecting and analyzing atmospheric data. The GLOBE Program promotes environmental and scientific literacy by enabling participants to collect Earth science data and contribute it to a global database accessible for research. The 2024 GLOBE Eclipse workshop trained educators in specific GLOBE protocols—Clouds, Air Temperature, and Surface Temperature—using the GLOBE Eclipse tool integrated into the GLOBE Observer app. This training was supplemented with guidance on engaging students in authentic scientific research and creating research posters to present their findings. The workshop aimed to enhance educators’ skills and confidence in integrating GLOBE protocols into their teaching practices. It addressed several key areas outlined in the National Academies' report on Learning through Citizen Science, including scientific context, nature of participation, and project infrastructure. Educators learned about the atmospheric effects of solar eclipses and were trained to use scientific tools and data analysis methods relevant to their research. They also engaged in live sessions and asynchronous activities, practicing data collection and analysis with real-time feedback. Survey results from the workshop highlighted that participants were primarily motivated by the desire to better use data in their classrooms and improve their proficiency with the GLOBE Observer app. Post-workshop evaluations showed significant increases in educators' confidence regarding their ability to conduct and guide scientific research. Participants reported feeling well-prepared to use the GLOBE Observer app for data collection and were successful in integrating their eclipse observations into classroom activities. Participants also valued the opportunity to contribute to authentic science through GLOBE, which involved observing atmospheric changes such as air temperature fluctuations and cloud cover alterations during the eclipse. The success of the workshop is evident in the increased confidence and skill levels of educators, as well as the publication of research posters on the GLOBE Mission Earth Student Research webpage.This session will discuss how the GLOBE Eclipse workshop series effectively utilized the unique context of the solar eclipse to enhance science education through citizen science. By adhering to the principles outlined in the Learning through Citizen Science framework, the workshop successfully engaged educators and students in meaningful scientific practices, demonstrating the potential of citizen science to enrich science education and foster a deeper understanding of Earth systems.

Jessica Taylor↗
NASA NTRS1987

Fifty Year Canon of Solar Eclipses: 1986 - 2035

A complete catalog is presented, listing the general characteristics of every solar eclipse from 1901 through 2100. To complement this catalog, a detailed set of cylindrical projection world maps shows the umbral paths of every solar eclipse over the 200 year interval. Focusing in on the next 50 years, accurate geodetic path coordinates and local circumstances for the 71 central eclipses from 1987 through 2035 are tabulated. Finally, the geodetic paths of the umbral and penumbral shadows of all 109 solar eclipses in this period are plotted on orthographic projection maps of the Earth. Appendices are included which discuss eclipse geometry, eclipse frequency and occurrence, modern eclipse prediction and time determination. Finally, code for a simple Fortran program is given to predict the occurrence and characteristics of solar eclipses.

Espenak, Fred↗
NASA NTRS1984

Lageos orbit and solar eclipses

The objective was to assess the importance of solar eclipses on Lageos' orbit. Solar radiation pressure perturbs the orbit of the Lageos satellite. The GEODYN orbit determination computer program includes solar radiation pressure as one of the forces operating on the satellite as it integrates the orbit. GEODYN also takes into account the extinction of sunlight when Lageos moves into the Earth's shadow. The effect of solar eclipses on the semimajor axis of Lageos' orbit was computed analytically by assuming Lageos to be in a circular orbit, the Sun and the Moon to be in the plane of the orbit, and the Moon to be stationary in the sky in front of the Sun. Also, the magnitude of the radiation pressure is assumed to be linearly related to the angular separation of the Sun and Moon, and that Lageos is a perfect absorber of radiation. The computation indicates that an eclipse of the Sun by the Moon as seen by Lageos can affect the semimajor axis at the 1 centimeter (1 cm) level. Such a change is significant enough to include in GEODYN, in order to get an accurate orbit for Lageos.

Rubincam, D. P.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Modification of the strato-mesospheric temperature and wind structure resulting from the 26 February 1979 solar eclipse

Temperature and wind behavior observed during the February 1979 solar eclipse shows significant change immediately following and up to one hour after totality. Stratospheric and mesospheric data obtained from Fort Churchill, Manitoba, indicate quite clearly a cooling trend between 50-60 kilometers with the maximum temperature decrease of approximately 10 C evident above 52 kilometers. This temperature perturbation was accompanied by an amplification of the meridional wind speed of 20-30 mps near 60 kilometers. These results are essentially in agreement with those obtained at Wallops Island during the March 1970 solar eclipse. Although the stratosphere was under the large-scale influence of a stratospheric warming, the short-term perturbations caused by radiative changes as a result of the solar eclipse did not appear to be masked.

Schmidlin, F. J.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Maryland Space Weather UnderGround (SWUG) Educational Outreach Program for Solar Eclipse Study

Space Weather UnderGround (SWUG) is an educational outreach program that provides hands-on experiences in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) to high school and undergraduate students. It has three ultimate goals: 1. Educating the future STEM workforce. 2. Building a cost-effective, research-capable ground 3. magnetometer array across the United States. Collecting geomagnetic field data at high spatial resolution for heliophysics research. SWUG students build, test, and deploy the Simple Aurora Monitor (SAM)-III kit, purchased by Reeve Engineers. The SAM-III kit is a fluxgate magnetometer that measures geomagnetic field changes at a resolution of 1 nT/sec. Dr. Charles Smith initiated the SWUG program at the University of New Hampshire, and it has since expanded to Alaska and Maryland. This presentation introduces the Maryland SWUG activities. The MD-SWUG program was started in the Fall of 2022 with the goal of deploying magnetometers to the solar eclipse sites in 2023 and 2024. Two student-built magnetometers were deployed to the Southwest Research Institute and the Los Alamos National Laboratory for the 2023 annular solar eclipse, with plans to deploy at least four magnetometers to the 2024 total solar eclipse sites, including the University of Texas at Dallas. During a solar eclipse, reduced solar irradiance weakens ionospheric currents and reduces geomagnetic fields by up to 30 nT at the eclipse sites. A recent study suggested that solar eclipses impact geomagnetic fields not only along the eclipse path but also at their magnetic conjugate locations. The SWUG program will help us understand this electrodynamic coupling between the conjugate locations during a solar eclipse by providing better data coverage along the solar eclipse path.

Hyunju Connor↗
NASA NTRS1973

Feasibility study for the use of a YF-12 aircraft as a scientific instrument platform for observing the 1970 solar eclipse

The scientific and engineering findings are presented of the feasibility study for the use of a YF-12 aircraft as a scientific instrument platform for observing the 1970 solar eclipse. Included in the report is the computer program documentation of the solar eclipse determination; summary data on SR-71A type aircraft capabilities and limitations as an observing platform for solar eclipses; and the recordings of an informal conference on observations of solar eclipses using SR-71A type aircraft.

Mercer, R. D.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Observations of the Marine Atmospheric Boundary Layer’s Response to a Solar Eclipse

The atmospheric response to the solar eclipse of 8 April 2024 in North America is investigated with a specific focus on the marine atmospheric boundary layer (MABL). We leverage measurements collected during the Third Wind Forecast Improvement Project (WFIP3), including Doppler lidars, sonic anemometers, and thermodynamic profiler data to investigate the atmospheric response across sites that experienced partial eclipse conditions with nearly 90% obscuration. Using these measurements, we examine eclipse-induced changes in key meteorological parameters, such as temperature, wind speed, and turbulent fluxes. Most previous eclipse studies have been conducted over land, whereas this study provides new observations for both coastal and marine environments, offering additional insight into eclipse-driven variability in the MABL. The findings confirm a notable decrease in downwelling shortwave radiation during the eclipse, which results in rapid cooling of surface air. The temperature reduction ranges from $1.2^\circ \text {C}$ to $1.4^\circ \text {C}$ in coastal regions and from $0.3^\circ \text {C}$ to $0.5^\circ \text {C}$ over the ocean. This analysis suggests that the MABL’s higher thermal inertia compared to coastal regions moderates the temperature decrease during the eclipse. Wind speed exhibits a more complex behavior, as it is influenced by both the MABL and preexisting synoptic conditions. Although a reduction in wind speed is observable up to approximately 140 m above ground level (AGL) at more inland sites, at other locations closer to the coast, this reduction is constrained to the lowest 100 m AGL. Turbulence parameters retrieved from sonic anemometers, such as turbulence kinetic energy, turbulent heat flux, and friction velocity, decrease during the eclipse at coastal sites, accompanied by a brief transition of atmospheric stability from unstable to neutral or weakly stable conditions. For the open-ocean sites, the variability in turbulence statistics and atmospheric stability is minimal during the occurrence of the eclipse.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
NASA NTRS1983

Local circumstances in Java during the total solar eclipse of 1983

A total solar eclipse of unusually long duration will occur on 11 June 1983. The path of totality begins in the Indian Ocean, passes over many of the islands of Indonesia and ends in the Coral Sea. The duration of totality is maximum near Java where weather prospects are also quite favourable. Local circumstances are examined in detail, presenting predictions for 34 cities on the island. A consideration of lunar-shadow geometry is given to clarify some of the confusion concerning the advantages of observing from the centre line. A comparison of the present predictions with those of the U.S. Naval Observatory reveals some differences which could have important implications for observers.

Espenak, F.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Determination of variations of the solar radius from solar eclipse observations

This paper describes the method to determine the solar radius and its variations from observations made during total solar eclipses. In particular, the procedure to correct the spherical moon predictions for the effects of lunar mountains and valleys on the width and location of the path of totality is addressed in detail. The errors affecting this technique are addressed, a summary of the results of its application to three solar eclipses are presented, and the implications of the results on the constancy of the solar constant are described.

Sofia, S.↗
DOE OSTI2017

Why Don’t We See Solar Eclipses More Often?

August 21 will mark the first total solar eclipse visible from the continental U.S. in 38 years. And it’s the first one that will be observable across the entire contiguous United States since 1918. So, yes, it’s a big deal. Why don’t we see them more often?

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2022

Thermospheric Nitric Oxide Cooling Responses to the 14 December 2020 Solar Eclipse

The behaviors of the nitric oxide (NO) cooling in the lower thermosphere during the 14 December 2020 solar eclipse are studied using Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) measurements and WACCM-X simulations. We found that NO cooling rate decreases during the solar eclipse in both SABER measurements and WACCM-X simulations. The maximum decrease of the NO cooling is 40% in SABER measurements and 25% in WACCM-X simulations. The NO cooling process is initiated almost entirely through the collisions with atomic oxygen (O) which depends linearly on NO and O densities and non-linearly on the neutral temperature. During the eclipse, the NO concentration and temperature decreases are larger than that of O concentration. Consequently, the eclipse-time NO concentration and temperature decreases are the major drivers of the NO cooling rate decrease. The decreases of the temperature and the NO concentration contribute comparably to the eclipse-time NO cooling rate decrease.

solar eclipse↗