Science AMA Series: We’re NASA scientists. Ask us anything about the
Aug. 21 total solar eclipse!
Abstract
Edit, 4:31 PM ET We’re signing off. Thanks for all of your questions!
Some of us will try to answer more questions throughout the next couple
of days. And remember, all our eclipse info is at eclipse2017.nasa.gov
Edit, 3:03 PM ET We’re live! We’ll be online answering questions
starting at 3 PM ET! On Monday, August 21, 2017, daylight will fade to
the level of a moonlit night as millions of Americans experience a total
solar eclipse. For the first time in nearly 100 years (since 1918), the
moon’s shadow will sweep coast-to-coast across the US, putting 14 states
in the path of totality, and providing a view of a partial eclipse
across all 50 states. A solar eclipse happens when a rare alignment of
the sun and moon casts a shadow on Earth. Eclipses provide an
unparalleled opportunity for us to see the sun’s faint outer atmosphere,
the corona, in a way that can’t be replicated by human-made instruments.
We believe this region of the sun is the main driver for the sun’s
constant outpouring of radiation, known as the solar wind, as well as
powerful bursts of solar material that can be harmful to satellites,
orbiting astronauts and power grids on the ground. We’re here to talk
about • What you’ll see on August 21st & how to watch it safely • Why
we’re excited to study the sun during this eclipse & our upcoming
mission to the sun • How eclipses can help us learn about Earth, the
solar system, and exoplanets More info at https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/
Mitzi Adams I am a solar scientist for NASA’s Marshall Space Flight
Center (MSFC), where I study the magnetic field of the Sun and how it
affects the upper layer of the solar atmosphere, the corona. With a
professional interest in sunspot magnetic fields and coronal bright
points, friends have labelled me a “solar dermatologist”. Alexa
Halford I am a contractor at NASA Goddard. Throughout my education I
have been lucky to work at JPL NASA looking at Uranus’s moons and study
Saturn on the Cassini mission at the South West Research Institute.
Today I stick a bit closer to home studying the Earth’s magnetic field
and its space weather phenomena. Michael Kirk I am currently a fellow
with the NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP). This two-year program allows
me to pursue my research interests here at Goddard and collaborate with
other scientists. My research interests include automated solar image
processing, anatomy of chromospheric flares and associated ephemeral
brightenings, solar cycle variations in polar coronal holes, and
helioinformatics (the way we scientists interact with and make use of
solar data Debra Needham I am a planetary scientist at NASA Marshall
with a focus on geomorphology, surface processes, and volcanology on the
Earth, the Moon, Mars, and Venus. I am also involved with efforts to
integrate science into future robotic and human exploration. Cécile
Rousseaux I graduated from the University of Namur (Belgium) and
received a Masters Degree in Biology of Organisms (University of Namur)
and another one in Oceanography (University of Liege). I then did my PhD
in Environmental Engineering at the University of Western Australia. In
2011, I started working at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center as a
Research Scientist. My research focuses on the effects of climate
variability on the oceans using earth system models and satellite ocean
color through data assimilation. Jesse-Lee Dimech My name is Dr.
Jesse-Lee Dimech, I’m a lunar seismologist and NASA postdoctoral fellow
at MSFC. I research “moonquakes” using seismic data recorded during
the Apollo moon missions. I’m also helping operate an H-alpha solar
telescope on eclipse day in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, which will live feed
to NASA TV. Dr. Alphonse Sterling I am a solar scientist at NASA
Marshall where I study the magnetic field of the Sun and how it affects
the solar atmosphere, including the chromosphere and the corona. I have
attended several eclipses. Chris Blair I am a communications
professional at NASA Marshall specializing in planetary and solar
sciences and the International Space Station.