{"id":640031,"date":"2024-04-02T09:26:30","date_gmt":"2024-04-02T13:26:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?post_type=podcast&p=640031"},"modified":"2024-04-02T14:02:01","modified_gmt":"2024-04-02T18:02:01","slug":"sun-series-you-yes-you-can-help-nasa-study-the-sun","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/podcasts\/curious-universe\/sun-series-you-yes-you-can-help-nasa-study-the-sun\/","title":{"rendered":"Sun Series: You (Yes, You!) Can Help NASA Study the Sun"},"author":414,"featured_media":634106,"template":"","meta":{"nasa_hds_core_meta_l10n":"en-US","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_editor":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_contacts":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_topic":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_linked_locations":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_related_articles":[],"hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_id":"","hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_type":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_x":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_y":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_gallery_images":[]},"categories":[10627,9486,10796,2837,3275,3276,2907,12875,10795,9481,9480,9484],"series":{"id":12713,"title":"NASA's Curious Universe","link":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/podcasts\/curious-universe\/"},"internal-terms":[],"coauthors":[12170],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Sun Series: You (Yes, You!) Can Help NASA Study the Sun","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/podcasts\/curious-universe\/sun-series-you-yes-you-can-help-nasa-study-the-sun\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/podcasts\/curious-universe\/sun-series-you-yes-you-can-help-nasa-study-the-sun\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/curiousuniverse.png?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/curiousuniverse.png"},"articleSection":"Audio","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Katie Konans"}],"creator":["Katie Konans"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"NASA","logo":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/themes\/nasa\/assets\/images\/nasa-logo.svg"},"keywords":["Science & Research","Heliophysics","Sunspots","Audio","Auroras","Coronal Mass Ejections","Heliosphere","Magnetosphere","Podcasts","Radiation","Solar Flares","Solar Wind","Space Weather"],"dateCreated":"2024-04-02T13:26:30Z","datePublished":"2024-04-02T13:26:30Z","dateModified":"2024-04-02T18:02:01Z"},"rendered":"<meta name=\"parsely-title\" content=\"Sun Series: You (Yes, You!) Can Help NASA Study the Sun\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-link\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/podcasts\/curious-universe\/sun-series-you-yes-you-can-help-nasa-study-the-sun\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-type\" content=\"post\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-image-url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/curiousuniverse.png?w=150&h=150&crop=1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-pub-date\" content=\"2024-04-02T13:26:30Z\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-section\" content=\"Audio\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-tags\" content=\"Science & Research,Heliophysics,Sunspots,Audio,Auroras,Coronal Mass Ejections,Heliosphere,Magnetosphere,Podcasts,Radiation,Solar Flares,Solar Wind,Space Weather\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-author\" content=\"Katie Konans\" \/>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/nasa.gov\/p.js"},"read_time":40,"featured_image":{"id":634106,"file":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/curiousuniverse.png","title":"curiousuniverse","alt":"","caption":""},"season":7,"episode":4,"audio":{"id":640041,"file":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/helio-mini-ep-3-draft-4.mp3","meta":{"dataformat":"mp3","channels":2,"sample_rate":48000,"bitrate":192000,"channelmode":"joint stereo","bitrate_mode":"cbr","codec":"LAME","encoder":"LAME3.100","lossless":false,"encoder_options":"CBR192","compression_ratio":0.125,"fileformat":"mp3","filesize":64262022,"mime_type":"audio\/mpeg","length":2676,"length_formatted":"44:36","year":"2024","date":"0503","time":"1207","artist":"","album":""}},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>About NASA\u2019s Curious Universe Podcast<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Come get curious with NASA. As an official NASA podcast, Curious Universe brings you mind-blowing science and space adventures you won\u2019t find anywhere else. Explore the cosmos alongside astronauts, scientists, engineers, and other top NASA experts who are achieving remarkable feats in science, space exploration, and aeronautics. Learn something new about the wild and wonderful universe we share. All you need to get started is a little curiosity.<\/p>\n<p>NASA\u2019s Curious Universe is an official NASA podcast hosted by Padi Boyd and Jacob Pinter<\/p>\n<p>Discover more ad-free, original NASA shows at nasa.gov\/podcasts<\/p>\n<p>Find the full NASA\u2019s Curious Universe catalog at nasa.gov\/curiousuniverse<\/p>\n<p><img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-634106 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/curiousuniverse.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1247\" height=\"685\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Episode Description:<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335557856":16777215,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">How often do you think about your nearest star? Though it may not seem like it from here on Earth, our trusty Sun is a place of mystery. Take a good look at its influence on our planet \u2013 through the otherworldly experience of eclipse, maybe, or the aurora \u2013 and you might get sucked in... to a citizen science project, that is. Join NASA Sun scientists like Liz Macdonald and volunteers like Hanjie Tan to listen to crickets fooled by the false night of an eclipse, discover new colors in the aurora, and hunt for comets hiding in the plasma of our Sun\u2019s atmosphere. And learn how you can get involved in NASA science while experiencing our nearest star firsthand.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335557856":16777215,"335559740":276}\"> This is episode three of the Sun and Eclipse series from NASA\u2019s Curious Universe, an official NASA podcast.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335557856":16777215,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">[MUSIC: Marimba Mayhem by Harry T Croxford]<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335557856":16777215,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">HOST JACOB PINTER: Hey space nerds, here\u2019s another fun way that you can get involved with the total solar eclipse. So, our friends at Third Rock Radio are giving you the <a href=\"https:\/\/thirdrockradio.net\/solar-songs\/\">power to choose the eclipse soundtrack<\/a>, with Solar Songs. Three days of music to get you in the mood for the eclipse. Each day has a different theme, and things kick off on April 5 with songs all about the Sun. <\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335557856":16777215,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335557856":16777215,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">JACOB: You can find more at thirdrockradio.net. Just look for the tab that says Solar Songs in the upper left. That\u2019s where you can submit your request. And you can hear each day of Solar Songs from noon to 2 p.m. Central Time. All you have to do is pick the songs, and Third Rock will play them back in honor of the total solar eclipse on April 8. And hey, let them know Curious Universe sent you.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335557856":16777215,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335557856":16777215,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">[THEME MUSIC: Curiosity by SYSTEM Sounds]<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335557856":16777215,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335557856":16777215,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">HOST JACOB PINTER: This is NASA\u2019s Curious Universe. Our universe is a wild and wonderful place. I\u2019m your host for today, Jacob Pinter. And in this podcast, NASA is your tour guide.\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">JACOB: You\u2019re listening to the third episode of our Sun series. From here on Earth, our neighborhood star can seem steady and predictable. But when you look at the Sun close up, there is a lot going on. <\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559737":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">JACOB: So, in the Sun\u2019s honor we\u2019re taking a deep, five-part dive into the plasma. So far, we\u2019ve covered how the Sun and Earth formed and influence each other and the surreal experience of a total solar eclipse.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559737":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">JACOB: For this episode, I\u2019m joined again by our producer, Christian Elliott. Christian what do you have planned for us this time?<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">PRODUCER CHRISTIAN ELLIOTT: Hey Jacob! Well to start, I want to tell you a little story. I recently talked to this guy, Chandresh Kedhambadi. He\u2019s a chemical engineer, and the story starts with him moving to Canada from India for a job\u2026 one that involves long nights driving around, taking measurements of oil wells in the icy north.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">[MUSIC: Safe Landing by Catherine Hoang Khanh Nguyen]<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">[SFX: Truck driving down a bumpy road]<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHANDRESH KEDHAMBADI:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">So, on one such night, we were driving. And obviously being February I think it was around minus 20 minus 25 that time in Calgary.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: He was in this convoy, following another truck. Then, his colleague in the truck up ahead did something unexpected.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHANDRESH:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">So, my operator pulled the truck over. And he just stopped in the middle of the road, we were in a remote location in one of these backcountry roads\u2026<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: First, he thought the other truck had hit a deer in the dark.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHANDRESH:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">And he came on the radio, and he asked me to get out of my truck and look skywards\u2026 And sure enough, I did get out and look at the sky. And once the truck lights turned off, it took a little bit of a while to register what I was actually looking at.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">[SFX: Two-way radio beeps on, radio chatter, truck door opens, footsteps in snow]<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: It was the northern lights! Chandresh had seen the aurora in documentaries growing up, but experiencing it firsthand was different\u2026<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHANDRESH:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The night pretty much started with a bit of a diffuse glow. It\u2019s kind of just a dim glow it sits there and doesn\u2019t seem like it\u2019s doing anything much. And then boom, right away, it just, lit up the entire sky. And we sat there and watched it for about 10, 15 minutes.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: Once it was over, he drove home into the sunrise and tried to move on. But it felt like something had changed.\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHANDRESH:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">It stayed with me for a couple of days. Like, even when I was logging that well, you would think about the shapes and why it would dance in a particular way.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: He found himself imagining what Canada\u2019s First Nations people would have thought, looking up at this same sky, hundreds and thousands of years ago. He started researching how the Sun causes the aurora, and going out every night, trying to see it again. He got into astrophotography, taking pictures of the night sky\u2026<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHANDRESH:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">You want a bigger and better show every time, right? It's almost like a high end you want the next high. I've driven as far as three and a half hours almost towards the US border sometimes when you know that the data is good. Any night where you have to give up chasing the Aurora because you ran out of memory cards, and you ran out of batteries and spare batteries, I think is a great night.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">[MUSIC: Scientific Progress by Thomas Gallicani]<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: Experiencing the Sun firsthand changed Chandresh\u2019s life. Now he spends every night he can out in fields and on frozen lakes, chasing the aurora and even contributing data to NASA research projects. And he\u2019s not the only one. In this episode, I\u2019m going to bring you three stories of people who took the Sun for granted for a long time, then were snapped out of it and fell off the deep end into Sun obsession. When you start really paying attention to the Sun, you just see the world differently.\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">JACOB: OK, I\u2019m excited! Where do we start?\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: So, we\u2019ve talked a lot already about this big year for our Sun\u2026 with eclipses, really high solar activity and the Parker Solar Probe making its closest approach to the Sun.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">JACOB: Right, I think the official NASA name for it is the Heliophysics Big Year.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: Well, I hadn\u2019t really thought about this before, but you know where the term \u201cbig year\u201d actually comes from? NASA didn\u2019t come up with it out of nowhere.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">LIZ MACDONALD:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Do you want me to tell you the real story? [Laughs] We kind of borrowed an idea from the birding community, where people go out and have, they challenge themselves to have a big year where they see as many species of a bird as possible. And so we thought that we had an opportunity to have a heliophysics big year.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: That\u2019s Liz Macdonald, she\u2019s a heliophysicist at NASA and she leads citizen science for heliophysics.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">JACOB: We\u2019ve done stories about citizen science, that\u2019s like where people volunteer to help with research right?<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: Yes, exactly. That concept is at the very core of this big year.\u00a0 Here, Liz can explain it better than I can\u2026<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">LIZ:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Citizen science is a way in which ordinary people can contribute to the scientific process, and to various topics that NASA studies, from the Moon, to different planets, to the Aurora, to the eclipses that are happening this year. And people can make discoveries.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: When they\u2019re working on ambitious research projects, scientists pretty often run into one of two problems\u2026 either there\u2019s just too much data for them to go through, or they just don\u2019t have the time or resources to collect the data all over the world that they need to answer their questions. That\u2019s where citizens, these volunteer scientists, come in.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">LIZ:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">It's really expensive to build satellites. And space is really large. So, we are kind of data starved, but people are everywhere. And people are always looking and finding unusual things\u00a0in the data.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: And as a bonus, volunteering as a citizen scientist often overlaps with people\u2019s hobbies, like looking up at the night sky through a telescope or taking photos, or just going for walks in the woods. Wherever scientists look, they tend to find ordinary, curious people already collecting the data they need, like photographs of aurorae, for example. They just don\u2019t know it yet!<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">LIZ:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">And one of the things I love the most about citizen science is the way that we really get to answer people's questions, and they ask really good questions, including some things that scientists might have overlooked.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: And there are so, so many really fascinating projects going on during this heliophysics big year.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">JACOB: Well, I\u2019m excited to hear about them! So, Christian, you said you picked out three for me, right? So what is stop #1?<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559737":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: Well, how about I let Liz pick?<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">[MUSIC: Cloud Voyage by Ella Ryan]<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">LIZ:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">There's actually almost 20 projects that are part of the Helio Big Year. I just signed up for one of the projects earlier today, because I realized how easy it was to sign up. That was the Eclipse Soundscapes project, which is actually about tracking how animals respond during solar eclipses.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">JACOB: Ooh, soundscapes, OK, I mean, that sounds right up our alley.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: Yeah exactly! I was really excited to about it too. To learn more, I got in touch with the project\u2019s leaders.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">TRAE WINTER:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Hello, my name is Dr. Henry Winter. Everybody calls me Trae. And I am the co-lead and chief scientist for the NASA-sponsored Eclipse soundscapes project.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: The story starts a few years ago in a library in New York. <\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">[SFX: Door opens, library ambience]<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: Trae, a solar astrophysicist, was trying to describe an eclipse to someone who was blind, and he couldn\u2019t. He realized he kept describing the way the light changed, the colors... that sort of thing. How do you describe a visual phenomenon to someone who\u2019s never seen? He floundered for a few minutes. Then he remembered a story his friend had told him.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">TRAE:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">They were standing out in the field in the middle of nowhere. And there was no sounds around. And then as soon as the moon completely covered the photosphere of the bright part of the sun. Day\u00a0kind of turned into Twilight around them. All of a sudden, the field erupted in the sound of crickets. He said it was like somebody had flipped on the cricket switch, it was so sudden, so immediate\u2026<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">[SFX: Chirping crickets]<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: And that got him thinking\u2026 We always talk about seeing an eclipse, but an eclipse is really an experience right?<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">JACOB: Yeah the way Kelly described this in episode two of this series really stuck with me. I mean she talked about the way the temperature shifts and the way the sounds change.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: Yeah, it\u2019s really a multisensory experience. So Trae started on this quest to make eclipses more accessible. He made an app that could guide blind and low-vision people through the 2017 eclipse in audio, and with tactile feedback. <\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">[SFX: Eclipse Soundscapes app beeps and whirs]<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: And then he thought, wait a minute, what about that cricket story? Was that really true? He decided to create a citizen science project to study how animals behave during eclipses\u2026 a multisensory, accessible project that anyone could contribute to.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">TRAE:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Little did I know that there was a study done over 90 years ago, by a person named Wheeler, who actually looked into how eclipses impact wildlife.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">JACOB:\u00a0 So, is he saying that another scientist had this exact same question, almost a century ago?<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: Yeah! So, the guy\u2019s name is William Morton Wheeler, he was this entomologist with a big, caterpillar-like mustache. <\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">JACOB: [Laughs]<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: And he\u2019d found reports of birds \u201cceasing singing\u201d during an eclipse in 1544. So he teamed up with some colleagues who were experts on birds and mammals to do this study. And the craziest thing is that experiment happened in Boston, just a few blocks down the road from Trae\u2019s office.\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">[MUSIC: Dreaming of Home by Dayna Ambrosio]<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">MARYKAY SEVERINIO:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">It actually took place around the August 31, 1932 total solar eclipse that passed over the New England area in the northeast part of the United States.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: That\u2019s MaryKay Severino, co-lead on the project. So, it\u2019s the 1930s, this was well before NASA, of course. Before the internet, before citizen science programs existed. And so what Wheeler did was put out a newspaper ad.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">[SFX: Typewriter keys clacking, pencils writing on paper]<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">MARYKAY:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">And he received almost 500 responses.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">TRAE:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">And those experiences just weren't just what was the change of light levels and stuff like that.\u00a0But they also reported what they heard as well as what they felt.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">MARYKAY:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">They felt temperature drops what they heard, some heard crickets, some heard a moment of silence. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">[SFX: Crickets chirping]<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: In particular, there\u2019s a lot of anecdotal observations from that old study about what animals do during eclipses.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">MARYKAY:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Cows turn around and start to head back to the barn. I guess it's nighttime, it's time for me to go to bed. Bees who are used to being out and about all of a sudden realize, \u201cOh, my gosh, I should be back at the hive, I better hurry up and get back there.\u201d So, they zoom back.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">[SFX: Cows mooing, bees buzzing]<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">TRAE<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559737":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">My personal anecdote was for the 2017 eclipse, the team had found a place in the middle of nowhere that was a bird sanctuary. And the Eclipse happened, and we were all standing there\u2026and out of nowhere. I heard owls start to hoot.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">[SFX: Owls hooting]<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">MARYKAY:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">These animals are experiencing almost like a sped up version of dusk, night and dawn, that typically happens over several hours, in just a few minutes. And so that creates some confusion in the natural world.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: But it\u2019s 2024, not 1932, so the team\u2019s working with some more advanced tech to study that confusion\u2026 they\u2019re using something called an \u201cAudio Moth.\u201d<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">JACOB: Huh. And what is an Audio Moth?<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">TRAE:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">So, this audio recorder can record a wide range of frequencies\u2026<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: Yeah so it\u2019s this little handheld device. It\u2019s got these little bumps on it so low-vision citizen scientists can use it. You switch it on and attach it to a tree or a park bench or something to listen for changes in the soundscape.\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">[SFX: Beeping]<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: The research team gave these out to a bunch of libraries, national parks, and volunteers ahead of the April eclipse. Habitats are unique. So, if you want to really learn something, you can\u2019t just ask people in Boston. The team\u2019s hoping to record 300 habitats all across the U.S, on April 8. And they actually got a trial run in too, during the \u201cRing of Fire\u201d annular eclipse last fall.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">[MUSIC: Botanical Reflections by Gina Kouyoumdjian]<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">JACOB: So, there\u2019s actually people who have experience using these things. So, what do you know about what it\u2019s like to use one of these things to contribute to the project?<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: Well, I got ahold of one group that tried out the Audio Moths then and will participate again in April.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">MARY PEARL MEUTH:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Hi, my name is Mary Pearl Meuth, I\u2019m the assistant state coordinator for the Texas Master Naturalist Program.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: Mary got connected with NASA Eclipse Soundscapes through another Texas Master Naturalist, Kjell Lundgren. His day job is NASA astronaut. The group participates in a lot of Earth-focused citizen science projects. Last fall, volunteers gathered on a nature reserve on the South Texas coast with their Audio Moths for the annular eclipse.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">[SFX: Birds chirping, light breeze]<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">MARY:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">We pre-set these audio moths and put them out into different corners across the property amongst the mosquitoes and the thorn brush scrub and the South Texas sand plains.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">[SFX: Mosquitos buzz]<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">MARY:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The change in how the day felt around you was so tangible, not only in that temperature drop, but the whole world felt like it was going to sleep for just a little bit. The birds and the insects quieted and settled, and so did the 400 naturalists. They settled for a little bit too. Even with your eyes closed and your head pointed down, it was obvious there was something happening. It was magical.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">MARYKAY:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">We often think of eclipses as something you go to see, where are you going to watch the eclipse, we often get bogged down in what will I do if it's cloudy, because we are so focused on watching the eclipse, but they're multi-sensory experiences.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">JACOB: That\u2019s so cool, and it makes a lot of sense. Christian, what else do you have for us?<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: Well, there are a ton more eclipse focused projects that involve everything from using HAM radio to bounce waves off the ionosphere, to sending weather balloons up into the path of totality. But I want to focus on a couple of projects that you can participate in anytime.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">JACOB: OK, sounds useful, I mean, evergreen projects, join it when you\u2019re ready, right?<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559737":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: Yeah exactly. OK, remember Liz? She actually has her own citizen science project that\u2019s been going on for a number of years. Chandresh from the beginning of this episode is part of it. It\u2019s called Aurorasaurus.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">JACOB: Huh. Now, Christian, I\u2019ve always been a T-Rex fan, but I\u2019m sure Aurorasaurus is a totally fine dinosaur too.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">[MUSIC: In Suspension by Mathild Empereur]<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: Jacob, I\u2019m sorry to say Aurorasaurus has nothing to do with dinosaurs, but I promise you this is going to be equally cool. So, we talked a bit about the aurora in the first episode of our Sun series,\u00a0but I think it\u2019s worth getting into what the northern and southern lights are in a bit more detail, here\u2026<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">LIZ:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The Aurora is kind of the last step in a process that has many steps and starts on the sun.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: Jacob, what do you remember about that process?<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">JACOB: Ooh a pop quiz. Um, OK, I know the Sun is sending out the solar wind in all directions all the time\u2026 this constant stream of charged particles. And they bump into Earth\u2019s magnetic field, which is this big magnetic bubble generated by our planet\u2019s iron core, and it extends out into space to protect us.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: Yes, you aced it.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">LIZ:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">So, it's always being bombarded by particles, some of which are pretty high energy particles. And those particles from the solar wind can get caught up in the Earth's magnetic field. And then they get transported from the sort of sunward side where they enter to the night side, basically, the dark side of the earth. And that energy gets stored up in the Earth's magnetic fields, causing it to stretch a little bit like a rubber band\u2026<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">[SFX: Magnetosphere rebounding from solar storm, rubber band snapping]<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: Yeah, and since these are charged particles, which means they have electrical charge, they get stuck on the magnetic field lines, and they have to follow them down towards the poles at high speeds when that rubber band snaps back<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">LIZ:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">And since they've been accelerated, they actually are going to hit some of the particles in the upper atmosphere. And when they do that, they make a little bit of light. And that light happens really high up. So, the colors that you see are mostly from the impacts on oxygen particles up there, and also a little bit from nitrogen.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">JACOB: So, you\u2019re seeing Earth\u2019s magnetic field lines light up, like the magnetosphere is in action and showing us how it\u2019s protecting us\u2026<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: Yeah, that\u2019s exactly right! And up near the poles, that pattern of energy storage and release is happening all the time, it\u2019s just a normal process for our planet.\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">LIZ:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">We do understand about, like, 90%, of the physics of all of this process\u2026<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: But since we\u2019re near solar maximum, when the Sun is at its most active, we\u2019re seeing these bigger eruptions, these big flares on the Sun, and they\u2019re sort of supercharging the aurora. And what that means for us is more dramatic displays and displays further south than usual. And those things we don\u2019t understand as well.\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">LIZ:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">When that happens it disturbs the system, like significantly. And so, we really need more eyes, on the ground, and in space to understand what happens\u2026<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: So basically, you need photos of the aurora from the ground to match up with data from satellites passing overhead at the same time. But scientists like Liz are not photographers, they are not spending all their time out in the mountains of Canada or Scandinavia waiting for the aurora. Luckily for them, there are folks that do that. Scientists like Liz are super dedicated to studying aurora using imagery, but there\u2019s this whole world of folks who are maybe even more dedicated\u2026 Aurora <\/span><\/b><b><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">chasers<\/span><\/i><\/b><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">[MUSIC: Malware Intrusion by Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Berger]<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">HANNAHBELLA NEL:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I've seen it hundreds of times. I'm very lucky. I've seen it from, ooh, seven countries? And still wanting more<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">HANNAHBELLA:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Once you've seen it, it's really addictive, you want to see it again. And you want to know why and how and all the rest. So, it's just snowballed into me becoming an aurora guide. [Laughs]<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: That\u2019s Hannahbella Nel, she\u2019s an aurora guide based in the southwestern UK and an ambassador for the Aurorasaurus project.\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">JACOB: Aurora guide sounds like an incredible job.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: Yeah, it definitely sounds fun. What she does is she takes people all over the world on tours to see the aurorae. It takes a lot of specialized knowledge to get people to the right places at the right times and explain the science.\u00a0Anyway, Hannahbella started out photographing the Milky Way at night in dark sky areas of local national parks, kind of as a hobby, then on a worldwide trip to dark sky reserves, she fell in love with the aurora in Alberta, Canada.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">HANNAHBELLA:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I was supposed to go on to Bali and Japan, but something in Canada was calling me back.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: She joined the Alberta Aurora Chasers, this group of thousands of dedicated chasers that have this active Facebook group where they share their photos by day and help each other chase down the aurora at night.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">HANNAHBELLA:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">It is quite like a family. It's really nice. It's really uplifting. Everybody's like, \u201cYou caught that? That's amazing! Ah, look what I got this time!\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: The way you or I might check the weather forecast, these folks check the space weather forecast. They\u2019re constantly looking for strong solar flares. They have the Sun\u2019s 28-day rotational cycle on their calendars, so they know when a coronal hole will rotate back around towards Earth.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">HANNAHBELLA:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">And if it's facing Earth, it's go time, charge your cameras. If the weather here locally is good, that is.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">JACOB: Well, I\u2019m thinking of the eclipse chasers, like Fred that we met in episode two of this series who are willing to go anywhere to catch a glimpse of an eclipse, And I\u2019m getting similar vibes here. I mean, aurora chasers are also always running from bad\u00a0weather and looking for clear skies, I imagine.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: Yeah Hannahbella signs off her emails with \u201cMany thanks and clear skies,\u201d which I might have to steal. Anyway, these chasers of solar phenomena, they\u2019re willing to drive hundreds of miles to be in the right place at the right time to experience a great show. And those shows can vary a lot!\u00a0 When you think of aurora, you probably think of green lines in the sky\u2026 That\u2019s what I saw the one time\u00a0I was lucky enough to experience it.\u00a0But an aurora chaser can set you straight\u2026 it comes in so many shapes and varieties.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559737":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">HANNAHBELLA:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">It looks different every time. It is never two nights the same. You can have different colors: the red Auroras you'll have green and then a red above it, blue aurora, big blue pillars, absolutely stunning.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: There\u2019s all this chaser lingo for aurora features, like picket fences.\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">JACOB: ... And I can totally see how you get sucked in, there\u2019s always that promise of a bigger aurora, a better aurora or just a different one that\u2019s always out there over the horizon.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">[MUSIC: Lull by Brandi cole Thomas]<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: Exactly, that\u2019s a big part of it. And you remember how Chandresh started wondering about what Indigenous folks in Canada thought about the aurora? It\u2019s the same with Hannahbella\u2026 She loves all the folklore about aurora, which is different throughout the world.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">[SFX: Footsteps on snow]<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">HANNAHBELLA:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u2026each country does seem to have their own kind of amazing stories. Finland's got one about the Firefox, sort of whips his tail in the snow, which sends sparkles up into the sky, which is the Aurora. Never shake your handkerchief at the Aurora, she'll come and get you. You shouldn't wear your hair down. You could get tangled up and taken to the sky\u2026<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: And while aurora chasers are out admiring the northern lights, they\u2019ve also been known to make discoveries that scientists miss. One night stands out for Hannahbella, it was sort of her entry into this world. She was at Pyramid Lake, an isolated spot deep in Jasper National Park in Canada, all alone on this wooden bridge.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559737":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">[SFX: Footsteps on wooden bridge, icy wind blowing]<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">HANNAHBELLA:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I cycle out into the dark with my camera equipment set up, as soon as I set it up, I see the aurora kind of building up behind the mountains and the north and suddenly it's getting taller and taller. And then suddenly these big blue pillars, and then the aurora is horizon to horizon and rippling all above you like you're under the ocean, some absolutely magical dancing around James Brown, celebrating [Laughs] by yourself in the dark. It was wonderful.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">[SFX: Ocean waves]<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: And then, as the main show started to fade away, she noticed something unexpected\u2026 a sort of aurora she\u2019d never seen before.\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">HANNAHBELLA:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The aurora was starting to bubble away in the north, but to the west and east, there was a strange purple ribbon of light that looked a bit like a plane contrail, going in the wrong place for aurora. But it just wasn't moving. It wasn't fading.\u00a0And it looked like it was twisting. I was like, \u201cThis is weird.\u201d I hadn't seen anything like this before. I hadn\u2019t really seen the aurora too many times at this point. So, I turned my camera to shoot in that direction.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">[SFX: Camera shutter clicks]<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">HANNAHBELLA:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">And then it starts developing these green picket fence lines coming off the edges of it, wonderful. And I was like, \u201cOh my gosh, I'm capturing STEVE.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">JACOB: I\u2019m sorry, hang out... did she say capturing... <\/span><\/b><b><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">STEVE?<\/span><\/i><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: Yeah, STEVE was the name the aurora chaser group had given this mysterious pink line in the sky they kept seeing. It\u2019s a reference to this movie Over the Hedge, where this mysterious hedge pops up out of nowhere and the woodland creatures name it Steve.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">JACOB: And so, this STEVE is, a big mysterious hedge in the sky?<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: Yeah, the aurora chasers are a funny bunch. Anyway, Liz had realized what a great resource these aurora chasers could be for her team at NASA, so a few years back she\u2019d launched Aurorasaurus, a way to connect scientists with the aurora chasers doing what is essentially this great science fieldwork. Liz had been seeing a lot of these sorts of photos of this phenomenon that chasers were calling Steve popping up on the Facebook group None of her colleagues knew what it was, so she\u2019d started up the project to figure STEVE out. When Hannahbella uploaded her photos from the lake there, Liz reached out to her.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">HANNAHBELLA:<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">And that was like my introduction to Aurorasaurus. And from that point, the rest is history.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">JACOB: Well, I\u2019m on the edge of my seat here... did Liz figure out STEVE?<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559737":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: Well, by matching up photos from Hannahbella and other chasers with satellite measurements, scientists figured out it\u2019s this rare sort of cousin to the normal aurora that forms super high in the sky from this trail of really fast<\/span><\/b><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">-<\/span><\/b> <b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">moving particles. They made an acronym for it so the chasers could keep calling it STEVE. They\u2019d gotten a little attached to that name.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">[MUSIC: Kind Gesture by Lincoln Jaeger]<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">LIZ:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">STEVE is a strong thermal emission velocity enhancement, which refers to the particles that are causing that light.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: Oh, and funny enough, Liz realized these chasers had actually re-discovered STEVE.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">JACOB: Oh, what do you mean?<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: Well, after Liz published the research about STEVE, she found a paper from a century ago with these black-and-white photos of the same line up in the sky that look a lot like Hannahbella\u2019s.\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: They\u2019d been taken by some scientists in Norway, who\u2019d died a few years before the Space Age began, right before satellites opened up this new era in Sun science and aurora physics. So, this discovery had sort of been overlooked.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">LIZ:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">And they called them \u201cfeeble homogenous arcs of great altitude\u201d, which is true. They are at a different altitude than the typical Aurora.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">JACOB: Wow this is like with the eclipse soundscapes project... citizen scientists answering these open questions that were forgotten from almost a hundred years ago.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559737":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: Yeah, you\u2019re totally right. Citizen scientists seem to have a knack for catching things scientists have missed, filling in the gaps!<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">LIZ:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">It\u2019s kind of this mutual rockstar effect. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: It\u2019s really a great partnership! Scientists are motivated by figuring out particle dynamics, Aurora chasers are motivated by the sheer beauty of this natural phenomena. To Liz, the aurora is interesting. To aurora chasers it\u2019s addicting, life changing. She brings the expertise, they bring the passion.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">HANNAHBELLA:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The science of it is constantly mind blowing. And it's been really inspiring to be able to work with people like these amazing NASA scientists and people who are studying it full time, as somebody who is a citizen scientist, I never thought I'd have that opportunity. I\u2019ve learnt so much and I will shout Aurora from the rooftops because I think that other people will feel the same. [Laughs] To get involved with science, science is magic.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: Now there\u2019s one more project that\u2019s just so cool we have to talk about it. It\u2019s called Sungrazer. And to me, it\u2019s a story about how sometimes,\u00a0 NASA\u2019s intrepid spacecraft can surprise even the engineers who build them\u2026\u00a0 and how citizen scientists can surprise the scientists who use those spacecraft for research. The Sungrazer story starts with a very special spacecraft called SOHO, which was designed to study solar eruptions on the Sun\u2019s surface.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">KARL BATTAMS:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">SOHO is one of the oldest, and in my very unbiased opinion, one of the most amazing spacecraft missions that we've ever launched. I don't think you could find a solar physicist that would disagree that it's been probably the most influential heliophysics mission of all time.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: This is Karl Battams, he\u2019s a scientist at the Naval Research Lab, and he\u2019s the Principal Investigator on the Sungrazer project, basically the lead scientist. SOHO launched back in 1995, and immediately started taking these super great photos of the Sun\u2019s surface. And since it was the 1990s, scientists started uploading the images to the internet, which was brand new, so the public could see them. And pretty quickly, they realized SOHO had an unexpected superpower.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">KARL:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">And a small group of amateur astronomers started looking at the images and realized, \u201cHey, look at that there's this tiny little dot moving, there's a comet in these images.\u201d And everyone's very excited. And they make some measurements of these comets. But no one really appreciated just how many comets were gonna start turning up.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">[MUSIC: Data Crime by Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Berger]<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">JACOB: Wait, so this is a Sun studying spacecraft, but it\u2019s also catching glimpses of comets?<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: Yes, this will be a comet story for a while, but I promise it\u2019s still a Sun story if you bear with me for a minute. This comet-discovering ability was a totally unexpected trick SOHO had up its sleeve!<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">KARL:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">SOHO is purely a sun watching spacecraft designed exclusively to study the surface of the Sun, solar eruptions and that kind of thing. So there was no intent for it to discover comets. It's just by luck... and good design.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: SOHO is one of those spacecraft that has a coronagraph, a disk in front of its camera that perfectly blocks the Sun\u2019s surface, just like the Moon does during a total solar eclipse. And so, it lets us see faint objects really close to the Sun that it\u2019s usually way too bright to see, like comets. Anyway, pretty soon, people were looking at the images and reporting new comets to NASA.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">[SFX: Email pings increasing in frequency]<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">KARL:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">And it started to be too much for the scientists to handle. All these emails have started to flood in with people saying, I found a comet I found a comet. So eventually, one of the scientists decided, well, I got to\u00a0do something about this. I'll just create a website where people can Just send their reports to this website instead of filling in my inbox.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">[SFX: Keyboard clicking, ping sound]<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: And Sungrazer was born! Before SOHO came on the scene, scientists had only discovered about a dozen of these sungrazing comets. Now, SOHO discovers one about every two days.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">KARL:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">So that was um, that was like 23 years ago, now that website was launched. And, uh, miraculously, we're still going strong.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">JACOB: How many comets has SOHO discovered, exactly? I\u2019m thinking like hundreds, or even thousands at this point?<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: Well, as we were getting ready to publish this episode... the team hit a huge milestone\u2026 5,000 comets!<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">JACOB: Holy smokes, that\u2019s a lot of comets.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559737":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: Yeah, and this spacecraft is pushing 30! It was designed for a two-year mission studying the Sun, but it just keeps on going, and keeps on giving in this unexpected way, advancing comet science and Sun science at the same time.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">KARL:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">SOHO is overwhelmingly the most successful comet discoverer in history.\u00a0I think right now we're approaching two thirds of all officially documented comets carry SOHO\u2019s name.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">JACOB: Can we back up here a second? For those of us who aren\u2019t comet experts like Karl here, I mean, what kinds of comets is SOHO looking at?<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">[MUSIC: Mystery Unfolds by Mathild Empereur]<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: Right, so if we go back in time,\u00a0billions of years ago before we had planets in our solar system, and there was just this big spinning cloud of dust and ice. That material eventually formed our planets, but there were leftovers\u2026<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">[SFX: Whooshing and tinkling]<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">JACOB: Right comets are those leftovers, right? These really cold, mushed together balls of frozen gas and dust and ice and rock. And all that stuff that just didn\u2019t make the planet cut. But I thought they tended to be way, way out in the far recesses of our solar system, just kind of lurking out Where we couldn\u2019t see them most of the time.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559737":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: Yeah, most of them are! They take these long trips through space and we only see them every once in a while. But a few have these funky orbits that take them super close, really too close, to the Sun. <\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">KARL:<\/span><br \/>\n<span data-contrast=\"auto\">Sungrazer is focused on what we call sungrazing comets. And the name is kind of a giveaway there. So sungrazing literally means these things graze the surface of the Sun, really ridiculously close to the Sun. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: Most of the comets SOHO has discovered belong to a single family. It\u2019s called the Kreutz group, it\u2019s named after a German astronomer that first discovered these sungrazing comets.<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">KARL:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Some thousands of years ago, a moderately big comet got a little bit too close to the sun. And all of the forces that it felt gravitational forces and all the heating from the sun, it caused this big comet to literally fall apart. And it crumbled into a whole bunch of smaller comets.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">[SFX: Comet whooshes by, sizzles and explodes]<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: This was a middle-of-the-road comet, about a few miles in diameter.\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">JACOB: If miles across is \u201cmiddle of the road,\u201d then these things are a lot bigger than I realized!<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">KARL:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">We've certainly seen much, much bigger comets than that. So, it really doesn't take a very big object to create 5,000 house-sized comets.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: Anyway, this crumbly pile of smaller comets continued in its parent comet\u2019s elliptical orbit way out into our solar system, and back. It\u2019s like a big oval racetrack with the Sun on one end. And eventually they get back to the Sun again.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">KARL:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Same process happens, they get too hot, they get too close to the Sun, they fall apart, again, and disappear off into the solar system. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">[SFX: Comet whooshes by, sizzles]<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">KARL:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">And you do this a couple of times. And what you end up with is this massive population of tiny little comets that fly right by the Sun and vaporize.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">[SFX: Hissing of comets vaporizing]<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">JACOB: So, what I\u2019m hearing is that every time this comet group comes by the Sun, it falls apart a little bit more? How long has this been going on?<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">KARL:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Undoubtedly, these tiny little sungrazing comets have been vaporizing for thousands of years, unknown to us. But prior to the modern spacecraft era, the only ones that ever got reported were those that were bright enough that they can actually be seen in daylight skies.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: Before SOHO, the Sun was just too blindingly bright for us to see what was going on. And by now, it\u2019s sort of the end stage for this Kreutz group. It\u2019s falling apart into ever smaller pieces, and before long, it\u2019ll be gone. But the upside is, with every pass there are new comets to discover\u2026 at least, briefly.\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">KARL:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">We are sort of slowly witnessing the death of a large comet.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">[MUSIC: Hidden Intention by Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Berger]<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">JACOB: Well, it\u2019s kind of nice and kind of poetic that people are willing to look at this SOHO imagery and do all this work of discovering these comets even though they won\u2019t last. Even though we\u2019re seeing their last gasps right before these comets go.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">JACOB: So Christian, let me bring it back to the science here because this is cool and it sounds like they\u2019re some cool space detective work going on, but like, why do it? I mean, what can we learn from these dying comets?<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: I wanted to know too, and Karl was ready for that question.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Karl 34:33<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Yes, we've got all the comet stuff because we've got 5,000 comets, blah, blah, blah, lots of comet science coming out of it. But what\u2019s also really awesome is that we are witnessing these things interacting with the near-Sun environment. We're witnessing them interact with the solar wind. And the solar wind makes comet tails move and wiggle around.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">[SFX: Flag flapping in the wind]<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: By watching comet tails wiggle, we can measure the speed and direction of the solar wind, like a windsock at an airport. We\u2019ve even seen comet tails get hit by coronal mass ejections. And with the ones that pass really, really close to the Sun, like through the Sun\u2019s atmosphere, we can see how they interact with the magnetic fields there. The dust from those comet tails clings to those magnetic field lines, kind of like how the solar wind particles in the aurora follow Earth\u2019s magnetic field lines. Both of these phenomena are sort of like messengers for us that reveal the Sun\u2019s invisible behavior.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">JACOB: Wow, that\u2019s pretty amazing!<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: Yeah, and that\u2019s not all. To close, I want to tell you about one dedicated Sungrazer contributor. This isn\u2019t an easy project to work on. You aren\u2019t going out and gazing at the aurora or at eclipses. It\u2019s hard work, searching through images for tiny, faint objects for hours and hours.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">KARL:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Sungrazer is a very challenging project. I wouldn't want to give anyone the impression that it's something that you could just kind of casually sit down and glance at for 10 minutes, while you're eating your lunch.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">[MUSIC: Catharsis by Al Lethbridge]<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: But still, if you aren\u2019t careful, the Sun can suck you in.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">HANJIE TAN:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I love looking for comets. It\u2019s really exciting to be the first to see comets get bright near the Sun after they have been traveling through space for thousands of years.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: That\u2019s Hanjie Tan. He joined Sungrazer in 2009, as a middle schooler in China. He found his first comet right away, looking through the SOHO imagery.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">HANJIE:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The comet C\/2009Y5. I discovered it a month after I joined the Sungrazer project, when I was just 13. And that discovery started my interest in physics and astronomy.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: Sungrazer got him thinking about space and wondering if there could be life elsewhere in the universe. It really set him on his trajectory toward becoming an astronomer and studying asteroids, these other remnants, building blocks of our solar system. Since middle school, he\u2019s discovered 200 sungrazing comets through 10,000 hours of searching. And he\u2019s actually the guy who discovered the 5,000<\/span><\/b><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">th<\/span><\/b><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> comet, just last week!<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">JACOB: Wow, what a cool milestone.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: Yeah, he has poured so much time into this that he really deserves this success. Anyway, whenever new photos from SOHO come out, he dives into them. You look at a few images in a row and you can see movement and identify the comets.\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">JACOB: Yeah, I can see how that would add up and take a lot of time and dedication\u2026<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: No kidding. And it doesn\u2019t stop there. He actually built an AI program that goes back through all of the SOHO imagery to look for comets that other contributors missed. And that\u2019s how he found his favorite so far! It\u2019s called SOHO4464. It had a weird orbit, and it was very dim, so it had been missed for years.\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Hanjie 23:00<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The earliest comet I discovered in the archived data image was from 1997. I found this comet years later, even though the picture was captured when I was just a kid learning to speak. They had been missed for over two decades before I identified them from the vast ocean of stars.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: His next goal is to discover a comet on his own, using his telescope. And he almost did last year!<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Hanjie<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">SOHO project teach me like, don't give up, just keep going, the next comet is waiting for you.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">JACOB: Wow. Well, this has been a wild ride.\u00a0Christian, thank you so much.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: Thank you, Jacob.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">JACOB: And remember, whether it\u2019s eclipses, aurorae, comets\u2026 there are so many citizen\u00a0science rabbit holes you can fall down into. All you have to do is keep your eyes open, and your ears, and all your other senses, to keep experiencing the Sun, and of course, don\u2019t forget to stay curious.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: Thank you, Jacob, and until next time, I\u2019m wishing you clear skies.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">JACOB: This is NASA\u2019s Curious Universe. This episode was written and produced by Christian Elliott. Our executive producer is Katie Konans. The Curious Universe team includes me, Jacob Pinter, Maddie Olson, Micheala Sosby, and of course, Padi Boyd. Krystofer Kim is our show artist.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"134245418":true,"201341983":0,"335557856":16777215,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">JACOB: Our theme song was composed by Matt Russo and Andrew Santaguida of SYSTEM Sounds. Special thanks to the NASA heliophysics team, Julia Tilton and Scott Swofford.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"134245418":true,"201341983":0,"335557856":16777215,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"134245418":true,"201341983":0,"335557856":16777215,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">JACOB: If you want to get involved in Sungrazer or Aurorasaurus, go to NASA.gov\/eclipses. And if you catch this episode before the April 2024 total solar eclipse in North America, I\u2019m sorry to say It\u2019s too late to get an Audio Moth, but there\u2019s still time to participate in Eclipse Soundscapes the old-fashioned way\u2026 you can write down your experience of the eclipse, just like folks did back in 1932. And you can help out by listening through and analyzing the data after the eclipse. And if you plan to experience our star through an eclipse, please,<\/span><\/b><b><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> please<\/span><\/i><\/b><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, wear approved eclipse glasses before and after totality.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{"134245418":true,"201341983":0,"335557856":16777215,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"134245418":true,"201341983":0,"335557856":16777215,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">JAOCB: If you enjoyed this episode of NASA\u2019s Curious Universe, please let us know by leaving us a review and sharing the show with a friend. And remember, you can \u201cfollow\u201d NASA's Curious Universe in your favorite podcast app to get a notification each time we post a new episode.<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">[NASA Podcasts stinger: This is an official NASA podcast]<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">JACOB: I\u2019m sorry, hang on. Did you say capturing Steve?<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: Yes. It\u2019s my dad\u2019s name too.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">JACOB: [Laughs]<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: Special thanks to the real Steve. Earthly Steve. It\u2019s also my middle name.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">JACOB: Wow.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: I mean technically it\u2019s Steven. So, you know. Really, really, Steve is my father<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">JACOB: [Laughs] Actually, my name is Steve.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: Actually, everyone\u2019s name is Steve.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">JACOB: [Laughs]<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">CHRISTIAN: Uh, I think we\u2019ve got it. I don\u2019t have any other Steve comments.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"raw":"How often do you think about your nearest star? Though it may not seem like it from here on Earth, our trusty Sun is a place of mystery. Take a good look at its influence on our planet \u2013 through the otherworldly experience of eclipse, maybe, or the aurora \u2013 and you might get \"sucked\" in... to a citizen science project, that is. Join NASA Sun scientists like Liz Macdonald and volunteers like Hanjie Tan to listen to crickets fooled by the false night of an eclipse, discover new colors in the aurora, and hunt for comets hiding in the plasma of our Sun\u2019s atmosphere. And learn how you can get involved in NASA science while experiencing our nearest star firsthand. This is episode three of the Sun and Eclipse series from NASA\u2019s Curious Universe, an official NASA podcast.","rendered":"<p>How often do you think about your nearest star? Though it may not seem like it from here on Earth, our trusty Sun is a place of mystery. Take a good look at its influence on our planet \u2013 through the otherworldly experience of eclipse, maybe, or the aurora \u2013 and you might get \"sucked\" in... to a citizen science project, that is. Join NASA Sun scientists like Liz Macdonald and volunteers like Hanjie Tan to listen to crickets fooled by the false night of an eclipse, discover new colors in the aurora, and hunt for comets hiding in the plasma of our Sun\u2019s atmosphere. And learn how you can get involved in NASA science while experiencing our nearest star firsthand. This is episode three of the Sun and Eclipse series from NASA\u2019s Curious Universe, an official NASA podcast.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast\/640031"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/podcast"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/414"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast\/640031\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":640348,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast\/640031\/revisions\/640348"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/634106"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=640031"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=640031"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=640031"},{"taxonomy":"internal-terms","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/internal-terms?post=640031"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=640031"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}