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Chasing the IR Corona through Solar Eclipse Experiments
The total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, was a great opportunity for the team of HAO, NSO, and NOAA scientists and collaborators to travel to a location on the totality path with the goal of running unique science experiments. Using additional telescopes, binoculars, and outreach materials, we were able to capture the eclipse throughout its phases and share our passion with a very excited local crowd.
HAO is flying observers to MLSO to observe the Sun during the solar eclipse
HAO plans to observe the Sun’s corona from Mauna Loa Solar Solar Observatory (MLSO) during the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, despite the destruction of the access road and power lines to the site. These were destroyed by the volcanic eruption of Mauna Loa on Nov 27, 2022. A generator, 80 solar panels, 24 battery packs, 3 inverters, and associated materials have been helicoptered to the site, which is located at 11,200 feet on Mauna Loa. Funding was provided by the National Science Foundation with work led by NCAR facilities and HAO site manager Ben Berkey.
WHPI repository of 2024 Total Solar Eclipse activities
The Total Solar Eclipse on April 8, 2024 offers ideal conditions for eclipse science, unique opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaborations, and an excellent occasion for public engagement. HAO is leading the effort through the Whole Heliosphere and Planetary Interactions (WHPI) initiative to support the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse by providing a platform for gathering information on ongoing eclipse activities. Please contact us at whpi_help@hao.ucar.edu if you have any questions or would like to be included.
Latest Research Highlights
Exploring Spatial and Temporal Patterns in the Debrecen Solar Faculae Database
Anett Elek, Marianna B. Korsós, Mausumi Dikpati, Norbert G. Gyenge, Bernadett Belucz, and Robertus Erdélyi, using data from the Debrecen Solar Faculae Database, investigated the spatiotemporal distribution of photospheric faculae between 2010 May 1 and 2014 December 31. Photospheric faculae are markers of the solar magnetic field, appearing as bright regions along the edges of granules on the Sun's surface.
Investigation of the physical mechanism of the formation and evolution of equatorial plasma bubbles during a moderate storm on September 17, 2021
Kun Wu, Liying Qian, Wenbin Wang, Xuguang Cai, Joseph M. Mclnerney investigate in detail the occurrence and evolution of ionospheric equatorial plasma bubbles (EPBs) during a moderate storm on September 17th, 2021, using Global-scale Observation of the Limb and Disk (GOLD) observations and Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model-eXtended (WACCM-X) simulations.
Comprehensive Radiative MHD Simulations of Eruptive Flares above Collisional Polarity Inversion Lines
Matthias Rempel, Georgios Chintzoglou, Mark C. M. Cheung, Yuhong Fan, and Lucia Kleint present a new simulation setup using the MURaM radiative Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) code that allows to study the formation of collisional polarity inversion lines (cPILs) in the photosphere and the coronal response including flares. In this scheme we start with a bipolar sunspot configuration and set the spots on collision course by imposing the appropriate velocity field at the footpoints in the subphotospheric boundary.