RAPID: Multiwavelength Imaging and Spectroscopy of the Corona During the 2021 December 4 Total Solar Eclipse

Solar eclipses provide a rare opportunity to learn about the solar corona. This outer layer of the Sun is a mystery – it is millions of degrees and much hotter than the photosphere below it. This Rapid Response Research (RAPID) project will observe the 2021 December 4 total solar eclipse from a vessel in the Weddell Sea, northeast of Antarctica.

The observations will observe coronal structures. It will also be a testbed for future eclipse expeditions that can take advantage of observing from vessels. This is particularly important since 70% of the paths of totality occur over oceans. Team members will be actively engaged in outreach, targeting under-represented groups in STEM.

The 2021 December 4 eclipse will be observed through imaging in white light and the Fe X 637.4 nm, Fe XI 789.2 nm, and Fe XIV 530.3 nm coronal forbidden lines along with spectroscopic observations from 340 – 1100 nm. The equipment will be placed on the deck of a vessel, which will intercept the centerline of totality for approximately two minutes.

Data acquisition with the imagers and spectrometers will require image stabilization and short exposure times. Corrections will be made to the instrumentation to account for the vessel’s two dominant motions: vibrations and high amplitude, low frequency motions.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.