Science in the Shadow
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — A total solar eclipse can bring out the amateur astronomer in all of us, but for a variety of scientists, it’s time to get to work. There are scientific discoveries and studies that can only happen in the shadow of a total solar eclipse.
An eclipse is a time of inspiration and wonder at the beauty of our corner of the cosmos, but for some scientists, it’s business time. Eclipses have been sources of study and discovery that continue today. For example, with the invention of the spectroscope in 1859, physicists had been excited for the solar eclipse of August 18, 1868. The spectroscope analyzes light to determine the chemical composition of stars. With this tool, scientists were eager to analyze the corona of the sun.
The eclipse happened and it is revealed, through the spectroscope, that most of the sun’s gasses were hydrogen, but there was something else, a mysterious yellow line. Most scientists dismissed the reading as the element sodium, but the wavelength didn’t match any known element at the time. This is the moment helium was discovered, named for Helios, the Greek god of the sun- and it was discovered during the eclipse.
In the upcoming eclipse, scientists intend to study the sun itself. The sun is currently at the peak of an 11-year cycle where it is very active in the outermost part of its atmosphere. Here is where solar flares and prominences emit from the sun’s surface, and much of this activity is still a mystery to researchers. Fun fact, the heat within the corona intensifies with distance from the sun’s surface. Scientists do not fully understand this phenomenon and the eclipse will provide the perfect opportunity to gather key data.
The total eclipse will also allow scientists to study changes in the part of the Earth’s upper atmosphere known as the ionosphere. The ionosphere, which is where Earth’s atmosphere meets space, is affected by the sun. Disturbances
from the sun interact with this layer and can cause issues with GPS and communications. The major decrease in sunlight from the eclipse should allow researchers to learn more about how light affects the ionosphere so they can better predict problematic disruptions.
Researchers at Cornell University will be conducting studies on how eclipses affect birds. In August 2017, scientists noted the eclipse disrupted the daily activities of insects and birds when a large percentage of their population was not flying. They also noticed it did not trigger usual animal nocturnal behaviors such as birds migrating or bats emerging. They theorize that this time, birds might be more apt to migrate during the eclipse, given that it’s in April.
On social media, Eclipse watchers noted the experience as awe-inspiring, and psychologists took notice! At the University of California, social scientists discovered that during the 2017 eclipse, those in the path of totality tended to use “we” instead of “I” on 3 million Twitter social media posts and also expressed concern for their fellow man. With this eclipse, social scientists are looking to study political divisions in society.
So, on the afternoon of April 8, as you watch the eclipse from behind the safety of your glasses, spare a moment for all of the science that takes place in the shadow.
