The mission will focus on observing the Sun’s corona, the
thin halo of light surrounding the Moon during a total solar eclipse. The
corona is normally difficult to observe because the Sun’s surface is
overwhelmingly bright, but the Moon’s position during an eclipse blocks much of
the glare and provides scientists with a rare opportunity to study the Sun’s
outer atmosphere
Scientists hope the observations will provide further
insight into the superheated plasma loops emitted by the Sun and help address
one of solar science’s major mysteries: why the Sun’s outer atmosphere is
significantly hotter than its surface
The WB-57 will operate from Iceland, which will experience a
total solar eclipse, and fly along the path of the eclipse to capture detailed
observations. Four cameras mounted on the aircraft’s nose cone will take
high-resolution images of the corona
NASA said the aircraft would provide researchers with a
unique perspective from above much of the water vapour, haze and turbulence
found in the lower atmosphere. This will allow its instruments to capture
clearer images and record wavelengths of light that are difficult to observe
from the ground.
Kelly Korreck, the eclipse programme manager at NASA
headquarters, said the mission would allow scientists to study the Sun’s corona
in a way that is not possible from other locations. “From our unique
perspective on Earth during a total solar eclipse, scientists can study the
Sun’s corona in a way we can’t from anywhere else in the solar system,” Korreck
said.
“The Sun impacts our daily life, satellites and astronauts
in space, and we can take advantage of this moment to advance our understanding
of that influence.” The WB-57 is a specialised high-altitude research aircraft
originally developed in the 1950s and has been used for a range of scientific
and atmospheric research missions.
NASA is also working with scientists and technicians in
Spain, where the total eclipse will be broadcast to a global audience. The
agency has selected the village of Villalibado in the province of Burgos as one
of the locations for its eclipse coverage, with a team of almost 30 NASA and
Exploratorium scientists and technicians preparing the international broadcast.
In the United Kingdom, the eclipse will be visible as a
partial solar eclipse, with the first signs expected from around 6:15pm on
Wednesday. The exact timing will vary depending on location, with the eclipse
expected to begin at about 6:18pm in Cornwall and reach maximum coverage at
around 7:16pm
The peak is expected at around 7:13pm in London, Bristol and
Cardiff, 7:11pm in the Midlands and 7:10pm in Manchester. The UK lies outside
the path of totality, meaning the Sun will not be completely obscured. Instead,
viewers will see a bright crescent-shaped portion of the Sun as daylight fades.
The eclipse will be the first solar eclipse visible from the
UK since 1999, while the next one visible from the country is not expected
until 2090. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and
the Sun, temporarily blocking some or all of the Sun’s light from reaching
parts of the Earth
0 Comments