Newly built device will do the work while astronomers go out and enjoy the show
The partial solar eclipse on Monday morning is both a wonder of the heavens and just another day at the office for astronomer Ken Tapping.
“We’re going to be doing some science during the eclipse,” Tapping said Thursday from the Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory south of Penticton.
Tapping and his colleagues have built a device, which they believe to be unique, that’s intended to measure six radio wavelengths produced from different areas of the sun.
The aim is to determine if there are areas of enhanced radio emissions from different areas of the sun, or if the emissions are all of the same intensity.
Such work, Tapping said, is only possible during a solar eclipse as the moon progressively blocks the sun as viewed from earth.
Tapping likens the project to decoding the sound of a symphony by knowing the various instruments that make up the music.
The ultimate application of the research, Tapping says, is to better understand the solar processes, or “space weather”, that can affect earth and human activity.
For example, solar winds — blasts of plasma and magnetic fields emanating from the sun — can knock out communication and transportation systems on earth, damage satellites, and endanger astronauts working on the International Space Station.
Three times a day, information about the sun that’s collected from the Penticton observatory is shared with a diverse user group that includes NASA, other space agencies, governments and private industry.
The device built for Monday’s eclipse has been created with the help of the Canadian Space Agency and Natural Resources Canada.
It’s called the Next Generation Solar Flux Monitor. Tapping jokes it’s a bit of a silly name, inspired by the fact he’s a Star Trek fan.
As the instrument is fully automated, there’s no need for Tapping to fiddle with any controls as the moon moves across the sun. He and the other astronomers will be outside, wearing solar glasses, taking in the show above them.