On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse cast a shadow from Texas to Maine, and the Southwest Research Institute led two major experiments to gather unique solar data from this event. The first, the Citizen Continental-America Telescopic Eclipse (CATE) 2024 experiment, involved over 200 participants who helped create a continuous 60-minute high-resolution movie of the eclipse. The second used specially equipped NASA WB-57F aircraft to collect data from the eclipse at altitudes unreachable by land-based methods.
Dr. Amir Caspi, principal investigator for both projects, noted, "Total solar eclipses provide rare opportunities to study the Sun's hot atmosphere above its visible surface. The CATE 2024 project not only advanced our scientific knowledge but also strengthened community bonds along the eclipse's path."
Total solar eclipses reveal the Sun's outer atmosphere's intricate dynamics, otherwise obscured by the Sun's brightness. The CATE 2024 project deployed 35 teams of "citizen scientists" who recorded the polarization of light in the solar corona, enhancing our understanding of this phenomenon.
"The telescopes used in CATE 2024 are equipped with polarizing filters that measure different angles of polarized light, which helps us gather detailed information about the corona," explained Caspi.
Meanwhile, the high-altitude observations from the WB-57 aircraft provided data free from atmospheric interference and weather risks. This effort was supported by NASA's Langley Research Center's SCIFLI team, which developed a new suite of imagers for these observations.
These comprehensive studies aim to unravel the reasons behind the corona's extreme heat and its role in geomagnetic storms that affect Earth. "These storms can disrupt satellites, power grids, and communications, making our research critical for understanding and mitigating these impacts," added Dr. Dan Seaton, SwRI co-investigator and science lead.
Caspi expressed his excitement about the collaborative nature of the experiments: "It was inspiring to see such dedicated teams working together to capture this data. We are eager to analyze the findings."
