What do you think you will learn on April 8?
We will examine for NASA the disturbances in the ionosphere – the region of the atmosphere that goes from 100 to 1000 kilometers – that are caused by the eclipse. To do this, we will send three rockets which will have a parabolic trajectory. The ionosphere is very important for radio and satellite transmissions. The rapid setting and rising of the sun in the path of the eclipse will cause several significant disturbances.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY AROH BARJATYAH
Aroh Barjatyah (top left) and his team with their three rockets
You also launched rockets during last October’s partial eclipse. What’s different this time?
The rockets we launched last fall were directly in the path of the eclipse. This time, we’ll launch them on either side of the totality band of the eclipse, where it’s completely dark. The ionosphere is similar to the sea in that disturbances in one location create waves that affect adjacent regions.
Eclipses are relatively rare. Why study the disturbances they cause in the ionosphere?
They will allow us to better understand solar flares and storms, which occur much more often. Hurricanes, volcanic eruptions and rocket launches can also cause disruptions. Ionospheric disruptions caused by the 2022 Hunga Tonga eruption have affected communications across the planet. And as we will have more and more rocket launches, this is an essential area of research. Even ordinary sunsets affect telecommunications. We could certainly benefit from information about disruptions every day at the end of the day.
NASA has launched rockets during eclipses for 60 years. Do those of today have more advanced technical characteristics?
The big difference is the data transmission speed. Rockets in the 1970s could tell us what was happening every few meters. Because the transmission speed is faster, we can know what’s happening every few centimeters. So we really understand better the disruptions and their potential effect on communications.
We also have technology that has only been around for a few years. These are scientific modules that detach from the rocket. A rocket therefore creates five measurement points, which allows us to cover 1000 kilometers. Only three or four researchers like me use this technology on the planet.
You will also launch science balloons.
These are student projects, but they will generate essential data. These balloons go up to 30 km altitude. They will be able to tell us how disturbances in the ionosphere travel to lower altitudes and cause weather disturbances. We will launch six over three hours to measure the effect before and after the eclipse.
A study in mid-February, on three partial eclipses over the past 20 years, showed that they caused cooling and the disappearance of certain clouds (cumulus clouds), temporarily. Does this have anything to do with your work?
These are much lower altitudes, especially for the disappearing clouds. But I have personally observed the phenomenon. This is in addition to the effects on the weather of changes observed in the ionosphere.
Watch A video of the launch of the rockets that studied the eclipse in October (in English)
Geoengineering
The disappearance of cumulus clouds during partial eclipses, observed by the study published in mid-February in the journal Communications Earth & Environment, means that the “geoengineering” planned to combat climate change could reduce precipitation and lead to droughts. This is the analysis of researchers from the Technical University of Delft, in the Netherlands. Geoengineering consists of blocking the Sun’s rays, by soot or by immense parasols in orbit, to cool the atmosphere. The cumulus clouds, generators of rain, disappeared with eclipses blocking only 15% of the Sun’s light. Geoengineering projects plan to block 3% to 5% of sunlight.
Learn more
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- From 400 million to 10 billion US
- Cost of disruption caused by an average solar storm
Source: NOAA