When it comes to a total solar eclipse it's a grand moment for scientists and researchers.
“So it's super exciting,” Carnegie Science Observatories astronomer Tony Pahl said. “It is kind of like the Super Bowl of studying space.”
“For scientists, it’s an exciting event because it’s different from every day,” SMU research engineer Jacob Clarke said.
Astronomers and scientists from all over are gathering along the path of totality to conduct research during the eclipse.
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Many major discoveries have been made during previous eclipses according to Pahl.
“The discovery of the second most abundant element in our universe called helium,” Pahl said. That was possible during an eclipse observing the atmosphere of the sun during the eclipse. Also, the discovery, Einstein's discovery of general relativity, was actually first proved during an eclipse.”
Now they are looking for more discoveries.
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“We are going to deploy little thermometers to measure a vertical profile of how fast and how much temperature changes during the eclipse,” Clarke said.
Clarke will be conducting his research right on campus.
They'll also be using sound to study changes in the lower atmosphere.
“We are going to hook up a large subwoofer that is operating at frequencies lower than humans can hear, but it’s going to be a super controlled source that’s going to be running constantly during the eclipse,” Clarke said. “We are going to put out infrasound sensors which measure this low-frequency sound.”
MAP OF SOLAR ECLIPSE PATH
Clarke said while it's a great thing to experience he's looking forward to what is learned from it.
“It is a big event and an important event and hopefully there is some interesting research that can be done with it,” Clarke said.
A solar eclipse will occur over North Texas for several hours on April 8, 2024. The partial eclipse will begin at 12:23 p.m. and end at 3:02 p.m. Totality will last only minutes, from about 1:40 p.m. until 1:44 p.m., depending on location. The event is truly a rare occasion. Another total solar eclipse won't occur over the United States until 2044 and the National Weather Service says there won't be another in our region until 2317.
