The upcoming total solar eclipse in April, centered in Cape Canaveral, Florida, is expected to result in a wealth of scientific discoveries. This is possible due to the utilization of cutting-edge spacecraft and telescopes, as well as the fortunate alignment of cosmic events.

The moon will be in a close proximity to Earth, resulting in a prolonged period of darkness. At the same time, the sun is expected to exhibit higher levels of activity, potentially producing powerful plasma bursts. Furthermore, there will be a heavily populated path of totality, spanning from Mexico to the United States and Canada.

A large number of people, potentially in the thousands, among the millions of onlookers will also serve as “citizen scientists,” aiding NASA and other scientific organizations in gaining a deeper understanding of our planet and the sun.

On April 8, scientists will use photography to capture images of the sun’s corona, the outer crown-like layer of the sun’s atmosphere. This will occur as the moon moves between the sun and Earth, blocking out sunlight for a period of 4 minutes and 28 seconds. The scientists will also take note of changes in animal behavior as the darkness of midday sets in, record changes in temperature, and use ham radios to determine any disruptions in communication caused by the eclipse.

During the upcoming partial solar eclipse, rockets carrying scientific instruments will be launched into the ionosphere, a highly charged area on the edge of Earth’s atmosphere. These small rockets will take off from Wallops Island, Virginia, which is 400 miles outside of the path of totality, but will experience an 81% blockage of the sun. A similar event occurred in October of last year during the “ring of fire” eclipse that was visible in the western United States and parts of Central and South America.

“It’s time for the main event! This is very thrilling!” said Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Aroh Barjatya, the mission director of the rockets, in an email.

NASA’s high-altitude aircraft will once again fly, pursuing the moon’s shadow with upgraded telescopes to examine the sun’s corona and the dust around it.

Kelly Korreck, NASA’s eclipse program manager, recognized that dust may seem uninteresting. However, she also noted that it holds great significance, as it contains the remaining elements from the early formation of our solar system.

Over 600 college students will release weather balloons during their research of atmospheric shifts, offering live broadcasts along the route. The presence of clouds should not affect the process.

Angela Des Jardins, an astrophysicist from Montana State University, who is in charge of the nationwide project, stated that the balloons, reaching altitudes of 80,000 feet or higher, are not affected by ground-level clouds.

If the Federal Aviation Administration gives approval, a 21-foot (6.5-meter) kite will be utilized to raise a scientific tool to a height of three miles (5 kilometers) above Texas, as part of an experiment conducted by the University of Hawaii’s Shadia Habbal. Habbal hopes to avoid interference from clouds while studying the sun by getting above them.

During a total solar eclipse, the corona, which is typically obscured by the brightness of the sun, is fully visible, providing a valuable opportunity for scientific study. The coronal spikes, which extend thousands of miles into space, are surprisingly hotter than the sun’s surface, with temperatures reaching millions of degrees rather than thousands.

Fred Espenak, a retired NASA astrophysicist known as Mr. Eclipse for his works on the subject, stated that the scientific community is still unable to comprehend how the corona reaches immensely high temperatures during total eclipses.

It will be another 24 years until the United States experiences a total solar eclipse of this magnitude, so NASA and others are making extensive preparations.

The eclipse in April will start in the Pacific and reach land at Mazatlan, Mexico. It will then pass through Texas and 14 additional states in the United States before crossing into Canada and ending in the Atlantic at Newfoundland. People outside of the 115-mile-wide (185-kilometer-wide) path will experience a partial eclipse.

In 2017, researchers experienced a preview of what to expect during the total solar eclipse that spanned from Oregon to South Carolina. This year, the moon is positioned closer to Earth, which will lead to a longer period of darkness and a wider area of visibility.

Korreck stated, “The longer we are able to observe, the more data scientists have at their disposal.”

A special scientific advantage this time: The distance between the Earth and the sun will be at its closest point in a year, unlike in 2017 when it was farthest. This will result in increased activity on the sun, potentially leading to a coronal mass ejection during the eclipse, releasing large amounts of plasma and magnetic fields into outer space.

In addition, there are currently two novel spacecraft in orbit, analyzing the sun: the Parker Solar Probe from NASA and the Solar Orbiter from the European Space Agency and NASA. They will join other existing spacecraft, such as the International Space Station and its crew, in conducting research during eclipses.

The upcoming April eclipse will be different from past ones, as it will intersect with three U.S. radar sites that are typically utilized for tracking space conditions. These stations will be monitoring changes in the upper atmosphere during the eclipse.

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The Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group provides support for the Associated Press Health and Science Department. The AP is responsible for all content.

Source: wral.com