News - University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus
Eclipse Impacts Central and South America Too!
The upcoming 2017 solar eclipse on 21 August 2017 has generated considerable interest – not only from citizen scientists in North America, but from people throughout Central and South America as well.
GLOBE and NASA are looking for data from everywhere the eclipse will be experienced – and more than 40,000 people have already downloaded GLOBE’s Observer app in preparation for the event. (See the image above, which shows the path that the Eclipse will travel.)
The data collection process will be the same for everyone who is in the path of totality (this is outlined on observer.globe.gov/eclipse2017); however, where lower percentages of sunlight are blocked, the effect will be much more subtle. Observers in these areas may only see a few degrees drop in temperature. In addition, because the eclipse is occurring during late afternoon into early evening, when temperatures are already dropping, it will be harder to tell what is the effect of the eclipse and what is the usual effect of the sun setting.
If you are experiencing the eclipse in South America, make sure you are measuring in the shade or using an instrument box and record temperatures every 05-10 minutes. NASA and GLOBE are hoping that people will start collecting data approximately two hours before the point of maximum eclipse, and then for two hours after the eclipse (this will give a baseline before the eclipse begins as well as cover the entire period of the eclipse). This may not be possible for the eastern part of the continent (where it will be getting dark), but the ideal is to collect data for as long a time period as possible.
type: globe-newsNews origin: GLOBE Implementation Office