Hinode to support ground-based eclipse observations
On Nov. 13, 2012, certain parts of Earth will experience a total solar eclipse, which, like all eclipses, will only be visible when you are aligned in a straight line with the moon and the sun. In this case the eclipse will only be seen from a narrow corridor in the southern hemisphere that is mostly over the ocean but also cuts across the northern tip of Australia. The JAXA/NASA Hinode mission will experience a partial eclipse of the sun near the same time as the observers in Australia. Hinode will coordinate its observations with those from the ground, before, during, and after the eclipse to produce a combined, scientifically interesting dataset. Watching a solar eclipse -- using appropriate instruments to protect the eyes since you should never look at the sun directly -- is a crucial way of seeing the dim structures around the edges of the sun normally obscured by the brightness of the sun itself. Indeed it was during eclipses that scientists first observed the sun's atmosphere, the corona, which extends beyond the more easily seen surface, known as the photosphere.
In modern times, we know that the corona is constantly on the move. Made of electrified gas, called plasma, the solar material dances in response to huge magnetic fields on the sun. Structural changes in these magnetic fields can also give rise to giant explosions of radiation called solar flares, or expulsions of solar material called coronal mass ejections, CMEs -- which make the corona a particularly interesting area to study.
"There are certain aspects of the corona that you can only see during an eclipse," says Jonathan Cirtain, the project scientist for Hinode at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. "We'll change where Hinode points during the eclipse to support the different regions being observed from the ground."
Several groups will be doing observations from Australia. Although we have learned to make artificial eclipses using modern telescopes, owing to the distance of the moon, these natural eclipses are actually substantially beyond what we can do in terms of suppressing the light from the disk of the sun. This allows us to do unique science observations during these brief periods. A group from University of Hawaii will measure the intensities of various types of ionized iron atoms (atoms that have lost electrons) by measuring the radiation emitted at different stages of ionization. Since the iron atoms lose more electrons as the temperature increases (increasing the ionization stage), mapping such radiation can help scientists observe the temperature distribution throughout higher levels of the sun's atmosphere than can usually be seen.
A second group is led by NASA-Marshall and will observe a solar phenomenon known as plumes. Plumes are large structures that extend far out into the sun's corona and never turn back around to hit the sun again (as some other solar structures do.) These are typically seen in areas where the sun is more quiet, and again are hard to spot next to the brightness of the sun itself. Plumes are constrained to follow the very magnetic fields of the sun itself, so they can be a tool for mapping the sun's complex magnetic system, which, in turn, is thought to be the driving force for most events on the sun.
"Hinode will provide context images," says Cirtain. "It can see both the corona and the disk of the sun, and the hope is to be able to correlate the emission seen by eclipse observations on the ground to where its coming from on the sun itself."
Since the view of the eclipse from Australia only lasts for two minutes, the Hinode team has had to organize how to quickly capture the context images desired. But, together with the ground observations, those two minutes can help provide observations that are only rarely possible. The next solar eclipse will be a partial solar eclipse, visible again from Australia, on May 10, 2013. The next eclipse visible from parts of the Northern Hemisphere will be Nov. 3, 2013.
Source: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
Other sources
- Spacecraft capture solar eclipse's Earthly effectfrom Physorg12 years ago
- Hinode views two solar eclipsesfrom Physorg12 years ago
- Total Solar Eclipse of 2012from Space.com12 years ago
- New Solar Eclipse Pictures: See What You Missedfrom National Geographic12 years ago
- Total solar eclipse viewed from Australiafrom Physorg12 years ago
- Satellite Sees Solar Eclipse from Space in Videofrom Live Science12 years ago
- Solar Eclipse - Moment of Totality | Videofrom Space.com12 years ago
- Satellite Sees Solar Eclipse from Space in Videofrom Space.com12 years ago
- Australia solar eclipse casts 150-km shadowfrom CBC: Technology & Science12 years ago
- Watch: Total solar eclipse over Australiafrom CBSNews - Science12 years ago
- Video: Solar eclipse seen from Australiafrom CBSNews - Science12 years ago
- Partial Solar Eclipse Seen 3X By Satellite | Videofrom Space.com12 years ago
- Solar eclipse in Australiafrom CBSNews - Science12 years ago
- Solar eclipse in Australia - timelapse videofrom The Guardian - Science12 years ago
- Your solar eclipse picturesfrom BBC News: Science & Nature12 years ago
- Clouds part, solar eclipse darkens north Australiafrom Physorg12 years ago
- Solar eclipse blocks sun in Australia – videofrom The Guardian - Science12 years ago
- Proba-2 soaks up three solar eclipsesfrom European Space Agency12 years ago
- Total eclipse puts Australia's sun havens in the shadefrom The Guardian - Science12 years ago
- Rare Total Solar Eclipse Darkens Skies Over Australia, South Pacificfrom Space.com12 years ago
- Total Solar Eclipse of 2012 Begins: First Photosfrom Live Science12 years ago
- Australians treated to rare full solar eclipsefrom Reuters:Science12 years ago
- VIDEO: Thousands watch Australia's eclipsefrom BBC News: Science & Nature12 years ago
- Total solar eclipse over northern Australiafrom CBSNews - Science12 years ago
- Watch Solar Eclipse Live: Video Feed of South Pacific Sky Showfrom National Geographic12 years ago
- Total Solar Eclipse of 2012 Begins: First Photosfrom Space.com12 years ago
- Total Solar Eclipse of 2012 (Photo Gallery)from Space.com12 years ago
- Total solar eclipse, Nov. 13, 2012: Hinode to support ground-based observationsfrom Science Daily12 years ago
- Hinode to support ground-based eclipse observationsfrom Physorg12 years ago
- Sky-gazers eye heavens for total eclipsefrom Physorg12 years ago
- Watch Today's Total Solar Eclipse Live From The Middle Of Nowhere, Right Herefrom PopSci12 years ago
- The 7 Most Famous Solar Eclipses in Historyfrom Space.com12 years ago
- The 7 Most Famous Solar Eclipses in Historyfrom Live Science12 years ago
- Cloudy Australia solar eclipse to dismay thousandsfrom CBC: Technology & Science12 years ago
- Solar Eclipses: An Observer's Guide (Infographic)from Live Science12 years ago
- Total solar eclipse today is last until 2015from CBSNews - Science12 years ago
- Total Solar Eclipse Today is Last Until 2015from Live Science12 years ago
- Total Solar Eclipse Explained: Stages of Today's Sun-Moon Alignmentfrom Space.com12 years ago
- The total solar eclipse down under: How to watch it from anywhere in the worldfrom Physorg12 years ago
- Prepare for a total solar eclipsefrom Physorg12 years ago
- Thousands await Australia eclipsefrom BBC News: Science & Nature12 years ago
- Clouds may ruin trip for eclipse fans in Australiafrom Physorg12 years ago
- Total Solar Eclipse: What to Expect as Moon Blocks Sun (Photos)from Space.com12 years ago
- Total solar eclipse in Australia: where to watch it live online | Stuart Clarkfrom The Guardian - Science12 years ago
- Total Solar Eclipse Today is Last Until 2015from Space.com12 years ago
- Clouds may ruin trip for eclipse fans in Australiafrom AP Science12 years ago
- Total solar eclipse in Australia leads to boffin influxfrom The Guardian - Science12 years ago
- Thousands to watch rare total eclipse in Australiafrom Physorg12 years ago
- Chasing Solar Eclipses: Q&A with Scientist Jay Pasachofffrom Space.com12 years ago
- Total Solar Eclipse Webcasts: Watch Tuesday's Sun Event Herefrom Space.com12 years ago
- Total Solar Eclipse Occurs Tuesday: How to Watch Onlinefrom Live Science12 years ago
- How to watch Tuesday's total solar eclipsefrom CBSNews - Science12 years ago
- Total Solar Eclipse Tuesday: Among Most Remote, But Visible Online Everywherefrom National Geographic12 years ago
- Total Solar Eclipse Occurs Tuesday: How to Watch Onlinefrom Space.com12 years ago
- Total Solar Eclipse This Week: How to Pack for Eclipse-Chasing Adventuresfrom Space.com12 years ago
- Solar Eclipse Expedition: An Eclipse-Chaser's Photo Guide (Gallery)from Space.com12 years ago
- Total Solar Eclipse Photos Helps Predict Sun Cycle | Videofrom Space.com12 years ago
- Total Solar Eclipse 2012: Moon's Shadow Takes Australian Walkabout Next Weekfrom Space.com12 years ago
- Total Solar Eclipse of 2012: November's Sun Spectacle Explained (Gallery)from Space.com12 years ago
- Total Eclipse of the Sunfrom Science @ NASA12 years ago
- Watch Path Of November's Southern Hemisphere Solar Eclipse | Videofrom Space.com12 years ago
- Total solar eclipse in Australia, Nov. 14from Physorg12 years ago
- Total Solar Eclipse and Minor Lunar Eclipse to Grace Nov. Skiesfrom Live Science12 years ago
- Total Solar Eclipse and Minor Lunar Eclipse to Grace Nov. Skiesfrom Space.com12 years ago