NASA’s planes for the first time will chase the solar eclipse
NASA scientists for the first time plan to chase the moon’s shadow using two of NASA’s WB-57F research aircraft during the next full solar eclipse in the United States. The purpose of the chase is to capture the clearest images of the Sun’s outer atmosphere. Research aircraft will have twin telescopes mounted on the noses of planes to capture the clearest images of the Sun’s crown to date. They will also perform first thermal images of Mercury to reveal how the temperature varies across the surface of the planet. Research Needed The sun’s crown (gaseous envelope surrounding the sun) is heated to millions of degrees, but the lower atmospheric layers like the photosphere heat up only a few thousand degrees. So far, scientists are not sure how this investment happens. One theory proposes micro-explosions, called nanoflares (too small and frequent to detect individually) with a large collective effect could release fiery heat in the crown. Key facts The total solar eclipse will provide a rare opportunity for scientists to study the sun, particularly its atmosphere. During this eclipse, the moon will completely cover the sun and perfectly blocking its light so that the weak crown is easily seen against the dark sky. The two research planes will observe the total eclipse for about three and a half minutes each. Advantage in airplanes will provide distinct advantages over terrestrial observations, since no one has directly seen nanoflares. In addition, high-resolution, high-speed images taken from WB-57F jets can also reveal their effects on the corona. The planes will also take observations of Mercury 30 minutes before and after the sky is still relatively dark. These images will be taken in the infrared and will be the first attempt to map the variation of temperature across the surface of the planet. The planes will be flying high in the stratosphere to avoid the Earth’s atmosphere to improve the quality of the image. The sky will also be 20-30 times darker at altitude where the planes will be flying than seen from the ground. There is also much less atmospheric turbulence, which will allow fine structures and movements in the sun’s crown to be visible.
