During the 2017 North American eclipse, NASA researchers utilized the GLOBE eclipse tool to study the relationship between clouds and air temperature. The study found that regions with less cloud cover experienced greater temperature swings, while regions with more clouds had more subtle fluctuations. This discovery was made possible through the collaboration of numerous amateur observers along the eclipse path.
Marilé Colón Robles, a meteorologist at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, and the GLOBE project scientist overseeing the cloud study portion of the project, emphasized the importance of citizen scientists in collecting data for this study. The collaboration between researchers and citizen scientists allowed for a more comprehensive understanding of how clouds impact temperature variations during an eclipse.
This research highlights the value of citizen science in contributing to scientific studies and expanding our knowledge of natural phenomena. The data collected by amateur observers through the GLOBE eclipse tool provided valuable insights into the relationship between clouds and air temperature during the 2017 North American eclipse. Overall, this study demonstrated that collaboration between scientists and citizen scientists can advance scientific research.
