{"id":10552,"date":"2024-03-28T18:03:43","date_gmt":"2024-03-28T22:03:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zobi.alcowep.com\/bourtagshdrevxnls658739\/dont-make-me-wait-for-april-8\/"},"modified":"2024-03-28T18:03:43","modified_gmt":"2024-03-28T22:03:43","slug":"dont-make-me-wait-for-april-8","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zobi.alcowep.com\/bourtagshdrevxnls658739\/dont-make-me-wait-for-april-8\/","title":{"rendered":"Don\u2019t Make Me Wait for April 8!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Don\u2019t Make Me Wait for April 8!<\/h2>\n

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4 min read<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t Make Me Wait for April 8!<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Can\u2019t wait to see the Moon block the Sun on April 8? Neither can we. But we have good news \u2013 if you want to see an incredible cosmic alignment, you can catch one right now!<\/a> Exoplanets, asteroids, and other objects regularly pass in front of stars and block their light. Observing these events is easier than you might think \u2013 and it can be a fantastic way to contribute to NASA science.<\/p>\n

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\"Sunlight<\/figure>
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The Baily\u2019s Beads \u2013 the bright spots of light on the lower left of the Moon \u2013 seen here are the last rays of sunlight that shone through the low spots or valleys on the Moon\u2019s rugged surface as the Moon made its final move over the Sun during the total solar eclipse on Aug. 21, 2017, above Madras, Oregon. Baily\u2019s Beads will appear on the opposite side of the Moon as it begins to move away from the Sun following totality.<\/div>\n
NASA\/Aubrey Gemignani<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

There are three main kinds of cosmic alignments that temporarily block our view of a star. Each one can help us pick out fine details about astronomical objects that can\u2019t be observed any other way.<\/p>\n

Eclipse<\/strong> \u2013 when one object blocks another that\u2019s apparently similar in size.<\/p>\n

Occultation<\/strong> \u2013 when a relatively big object completely blocks an apparently smaller object.<\/p>\n

Transit<\/strong> \u2013 when an apparently small object passes in front of a larger star, blocking some but not all of its light.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll notice that we use the word \u201capparently\u201d in each of those definitions. That\u2019s because what matters is how big the object looks from our perspective, not how big it actually is.<\/p>\n

Now let\u2019s look at some science projects you can get involved in that observe these phenomena.<\/p>\n

Eclipses <\/strong>help scientists see faint objects next to bright objects. Just like you might raise your hand to block light from your car\u2019s headlight while you search the ground for your keys, eclipses block the overpowering light from a star so objects around it can be viewed more easily. This is what the Eclipse Megamovie project<\/strong><\/a>, the Dynamic Eclipse Broadcast Initiative<\/strong><\/a>, and Citizen CATE 2024<\/strong><\/a> are doing: taking advantage of the Moon blocking the fierce sunlight so they can see what\u2019s happening right around the Sun. These projects invite you to help them use this method to study the Sun\u2019s faint corona. Eclipses<\/strong> and occultations<\/strong> can also tell us about the relative sizes and shapes of objects. This is how Sunsketcher<\/strong><\/a> will harness the April 8 eclipse. With your help, they will use our precise knowledge of the size and topography of the Moon to vastly improve estimates of the shape of the Sun. At the very beginning and end of totality, viewers will see Baily\u2019s Beads \u2013 bright spots of light around the Moon\u2019s edge where rays of sunlight slip through the valleys between the mountains on the Moon\u2019s surface just before and after totality. The SunSketcher app will capture images of these beads along with precise time and location data of each observation. Following the eclipse, the SunSketcher team will use the collected observations to calculate the shape of the Sun.<\/p>\n

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When a planet passes directly between a star and its observer \u2013 what astronomers call a transit \u2013 the planet dims the star\u2019s light by a measurable amount. The graph in the lower left shows a real time visualization of the strength of the light signal from the star.
NASA<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When an object transits<\/strong> \u2013 or passes in front of \u2013 a star, the star\u2019s light dims. Measuring changes in starlight to search for these transits has revealed thousands of exoplanets (planets orbiting other stars) in recent years. You can join the search today! Three NASA citizen science projects are focused on investigating exoplanets using transits.<\/p>\n