Eclipse Megamovie Project: Be a Citizen Scientist!

Countdown: 05days:23hr:04min

The countdown is getting smaller and smaller to the big day! I leave for my total eclipse adventure in the very near future and can barely think about anything else.  I’ve been taking advantage of the 3rd quarter moon to practice my eclipse photography (focusing and image bracketing).  And, there is a new sunspot!  It will hopefully hang around until Monday, giving everyone an excellent point to narrow in their focus.

I’ve been practicing, practicing, practicing as I am one of over a 1,000 volunteer photographers imaging the total eclipse for the Eclipse Megamovie 2017 project.  It is a “first-of-its-kind citizen science project gathering scientifically valuable data from the total solar eclipse”!  We photographers are spread out across the continental United States within the path of totality.  We will be taking pictures of  the Sun during totality and then uploading them.  The Megamovie Team will then stitch all of the photographs together in sequence, from Oregon to South Carolina, creating one big Eclipse MEGAMOVIE!

Why is this project important?  This will give scientists and the public a chance to see and study how the Sun’s corona changes over a few hours.  Typical solar observatories, such as SOHO (Solar and Heliospheric Observatory), use an occulting disk to block the light from the surface of the Sun making the Sun’s corona visible.  However, due to limitations of these space borne observatories the occulting disks limit what portion of the corona may be observed.  Since the Moon is the same apparent size as the Sun on our sky, it is the perfect size to block the light from the surface of the Sun and allow observations of the lesser studied lower portion of the corona.  This high resolution movie will give scientists valuable data to study for years to come.  And the folks organizing this (Google’s Making Science Team and Berkeley’s Multiverse Team)  already have plans for a repeat Megamovie project for the 2024 total solar eclipse, which will provide another excellent data set for comparison.

How can you help?!  The Eclipse Megamovie team want all the images/data they can get their hands on of totality, including cell phone images!!!  If you will be in the path of totality, you can participate and become a citizen scientist by downloading their Eclipse Megamovie app for Android and IOS.  There is even a practice mode to help you prepare for the big event! I hope you decide to be a citizen scientist, too!

As always, wishing everyone clear skies!

~Misty Carty, Ph.D.

 

As I write this post, there are 11days:23hr:18min until the solar eclipse touches the west coast in Oregon on August 21st!

To say the excitement for this eclipse is profound is an understatement. And, this coast to coast eclipse will have a large impact on the country.  The Great American Eclipse website has a page dedicated to the traffic expected per state that totality crosses.  The eclipse will begin in Oregon and ODOT is saying the eclipse will bring the “biggest traffic event in Oregon history“.  As the eclipse traverses the country, Idaho, Nebraska, Missouri, Illinois, and Tennessee are predicted to be the most impacted.  Then the eclipse will end in South Carolina, which is expected to have the worst influx due to travelers from along the east coast.

Even if you can’t make it to a spot along the path of totality, the entire USA falls within the path of a partial solar eclipse (be sure to wear proper eye protection when looking at the Sun!).   The furthest spot from totality in the USA is the top of Maine, which will still see at least 55% of the Sun covered by the Moon.  You can check out how much of a partial eclipse you will see and when (on August 21st) at TimeandDate.com.

As the countdown grows smaller, I am eagerly awaiting my trip to the path of totality with my family.  We’ve been practicing our viewing techniques (to ensure eye safety) and practicing with our photography gear (so we can take pictures but still enjoy the event).

Over the next 10 days, I will bring you a Countdown To The Eclipse series posting ways you can enjoy the eclipse and participate in citizen science projects!

Clear Skies!

~Misty Carty, Ph.D.