To catch a glimpse of the next total solar eclipse on December 4, sky gazers will have to trek to the icy continent of Antarctica. University of Â鶹´«Ã½ (IfA) Astronomer Shadia Rifai Habbal and her eclipse team, the , are one of a small handful of scientific teams traveling to the remote South Pole to carry out scientific observations. The 14-member team is busy testing equipment before they depart Â鶹´«Ã½ on November 22 and 24.
They¡¯ve chased eclipses around the globe, however, this winter—for the first time—their only observing option is at sea, and their plan is to conduct studies from a cruise ship.
“The sun is the closest star we can study in detail, and it¡¯s really our gateway to other stars,” said Habbal. “So anything we can learn about the sun and its outer atmosphere, the corona, impacts a tremendous part of astronomy and many other fields in astronomy.”
A Solar Wind Sherpa first
Habbal has led her team on 16 eclipse expeditions across the world, but this will be the first one they¡¯ll study while on water. The team has prepared by testing equipment aboard the Majestic, a 150-foot yacht belonging to local company Atlantis Cruises. To operate on a swaying boat deck, scientific equipment must be mounted on stabilizing platforms. Weather conditions during the December expedition will also play a major factor in the quality of observations.
During a total solar eclipse, the Sun, Moon and Earth align. It¡¯s a sight that supercharges IfA graduate student, Sage Constantinou. The upcoming event will mark his third eclipse expedition.
“It¡¯s unlike anything you can imagine. The whole sky goes dark, everything gets cold. You wouldn¡¯t think, instantaneously, the air temperature drops,” Constantinou said. “All the animals in the region just start freaking out, birds, dogs, everything. The sky just lights up with the Sun¡¯s corona.”
How eclipse observations reveal impacts to Earth
Observations of the awe-inspiring event can help broaden understanding of space weather and enhance GPS and satellite communications. During the 2020 eclipse in Argentina, the team discovered a solar eruption that formed a double bubble shape. They observed how it triggered measurable changes in the temperature distribution and density of the Sun¡¯s corona. These events originating on the Sun¡¯s surface can devastate the world¡¯s power grid, and impact astronauts in orbit, so fully understanding their nature is important.
There are many ways to study the solar corona, from spacecraft, to ground-based solar telescopes, but solar eclipses provide a superior opportunity. Even amateur data from consumer-grade cameras can produce scientifically useful imaging. In the past, Habbal and her team have combined their findings with amateur data- however there¡¯s little chance of that this round, given the remoteness of this eclipse.
This research is an example of UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹¡¯s goal of (PDF), (PDF), two of four goals identified in the (PDF), updated in December 2020.