On April 8, scientists from around the world will gather to study the solar eclipse in the United States. The event presents a unique opportunity for researchers to investigate unusual animal behavior and effects on individuals, as well as various aspects of the solar corona and ionosphere.
When the Moon completely covers the central disk of the Sun, the solar corona will be visible in a special way. This region, where solar flares and prominences occur, presents challenges for scientists to explain. Scientists are excited about studying this area during the eclipse, especially since the Sun is nearing its peak activity every 11 years, increasing the chances of observing something remarkable.
In addition to studying changes in light and temperature during an eclipse, scientists will also examine disruptions in Earth’s atmosphere caused by ionization events. These changes can affect GPS signals and communications systems. Three small sounding rockets will be launched before, during, and after the eclipse to measure these disruptions. The data collected from these experiments can help us better understand how communication signals interact with Earth’s atmosphere under different conditions.
Eclipses have also been known to impact animal behavior, with animals exhibiting surprising reactions like galloping away or crowing. Changes in light, temperature, and wind during an eclipse can trigger shifts in behavior that may be difficult for humans to detect without observation. Researchers are particularly interested in studying birds’ behavior during an eclipse to gain insight into how animals perceive their surroundings and respond to changes in light and temperature. The unique experience of witnessing an eclipse has been shown to increase wonder and connect people with nature through social media data from previous events such as those seen on Twitter during last year’s total solar eclipse over North America.
To encourage citizen participation in scientific research related to this event, numerous hands-on projects have been planned for those who want to observe their surroundings during the eclipse using mobile phone applications that allow them to record data for analysis later on by researchers worldwide. By collecting a wide range of data from different perspectives across time and space
