2024's total solar eclipse offers a unique opportunity for mass citizen-scientist participation, with extended darkness and increased solar activity, enabling NASA and other groups to study the sun's corona and atmospheric changes.

The April 2024 total solar eclipse promises to be a scientific bonanza, with the moon being extra close to Earth, providing an extended period of darkness and increased solar activity. This rare alignment offers a unique opportunity for hundreds or thousands of spectators to participate as "citizen scientists," contributing to NASA and other research groups' understanding of the planet and the star. The eclipse's densely populated corridor stretching from Mexico to the US to Canada allows for ground-based observations, while NASA's high-altitude jets will study the sun's corona and dust, and over 600 weather balloons will be launched to monitor atmospheric changes.

March 22, 2024
49 Articles

Further Reading