{"id":56257,"date":"2024-03-14T20:15:04","date_gmt":"2024-03-14T20:15:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/e947236b-f47f-4b49-82a4-24407891cb0a"},"modified":"2024-03-14T20:32:28","modified_gmt":"2024-03-14T20:32:28","slug":"are-you-going-to-photograph-the-april-8-solar-eclipse-nasa-needs-your-help-making-an-eclipse-megamovie","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/rss_feed\/are-you-going-to-photograph-the-april-8-solar-eclipse-nasa-needs-your-help-making-an-eclipse-megamovie\/","title":{"rendered":"Are you going to photograph the April 8 solar eclipse? NASA needs your help making an Eclipse Megamovie"},"content":{"rendered":"

Volunteers have until 18 March to sign up to NASA’s citizen science project. <\/p>

By Iain Todd\n <\/p>

Published: Thursday, 14 March 2024 at 20:15 PM<\/p>

\n\n

NASA is calling on volunteers to help capture photographs of the April 8 total solar eclipse<\/a> for a citizen science project called the Eclipse Megamovie.<\/p>

It’s hoped that images captured by photographers across North America could help solar scientists better understand the relationship between the Sun and Earth.<\/p>

Photos of the eclipse captured as part of the project will contribute to three NASA-funded citizen science projects, but volunteers only have until 18 March to sign up.<\/p>

Studying the corona<\/strong><\/h2>
The Solar corona during the 21 August 2017 total solar eclipse by Alex Conu, Castle Garden, WY, USA. Equipment: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, Pentax 75 SDHF refractor<\/figcaption><\/figure>

The aim is to study the corona, the outer layer of the Sun, and a total solar eclipse<\/a> is the perfect time to do this because the Moon blocks out the entirety of the solar disc, leaving just the wispy corona visible.<\/p>

The corona is the origin of the solar wind, a stream of charged particles emanating from the Sun that affects Earth and other planets in the Solar System.<\/p>

The issue with capturing images of a totally eclipse Sun, however, is that totality doesn’t last very long.<\/p>

During the April 8 eclipse, totality will last about 4.5 minutes, which isn’t enough time for effective observations of the corona.<\/p>

However, by selecting photographers situated along the ‘path of totality’ – the narrow strip across North America from where a total solar eclipse will be visible – NASA hopes to effectively extend totality for over 90 minutes.<\/p>

The Eclipse Megamovie will combine images captured by photographers to produce a movie showing activity in the corona that would otherwise be hard to see.<\/p>

\"Diagram
Photographers along the path of totality (in black) are being asked to join NASA’s Eclipse Megamovie project. Credit: BBC Sky at Night Magazine.<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Capturing the Eclipse Megamovie<\/strong><\/h2>

Volunteers participating in the project will use DSLR cameras on tracking mounts that can follow the Sun’s position in the sky and capture changes in the corona during the eclipse.<\/p>

Over 70 people situated along the path of totality have been sent tracking mounts, and over 80 additional photographers who already have their own equipment have joined the project.<\/p>

NASA says others are welcome to join, but interested photographers need to sign up to the Eclipse Megamovie project by 18 March.<\/p>