vania-janet/multiturn-rag-retrieval-data huggingface dataset:
Sketch the Shape of the Sun for Science During the Solar Eclipse - NASA Science
“It’s the precise timing of when these flashes appear and disappear that can tell you how big the Sun is and what shape it is,” Emslie says.Citizen scientists will activate the Sunsketcher app before the eclipse and then prop their phone against a steady surface with the rear (back-facing) camera pointed at the Sun. The app will automatically take images of Baily’s Beads at the correct times.SunSketcher/Tabby ClineThe SunSketcher team will merge the images collected from various viewpoints on the eclipse path to create an evolving pattern of beads. This pattern will be compared with 3D maps that show the exact locations and distances between lunar craters, mountains, and valleys on the surface of the Moon from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. The combined measurements will allow researchers to calculate the precise size and shape of the Sun based on the timing of the images captured over 90 minutes of eclipse observations.“The fascinating thing about this is you can really only do this by having observers stretched over the whole eclipse path,” Emslie explains. “No one observer can monitor an eclipse for more than about four or five minutes.”The Sun is round but not a perfect sphere. It bulges out slightly along the equator with a diameter of about 865,000 miles. Scientists suspect the shape of the Sun changes slightly as it goes through 11-year cycles of fluctuating solar activity. The Sun is a rotating ball of gas and plasma with complicated internal flows of material, energy, and magnetic fields beneath the surface that vary over that cycle and impact its overall shape.“All of these flows connect to the surface somehow, and so the shape of the surface is determined by the details of the flows,” Emslie says. “If we can understand the subsurface flows, we can better understand the Sun’s internal structure.”
Cloudy With a Chance of Eclipse
U.S. National Weather Service Cleveland OH, via Facebook (2024, April 8) The partial eclipse has begun. Accessed May 1, 2024.
U.S. National Weather Service (2024, April 16) Meteorological Conditions across Vermont and northern New York During the Total Solar Eclipse of 8 April 2024. Accessed May 1, 2024.
U.S. National Weather Service Buffalo NY, via Facebook
(2024, April 8) Thick mid and high clouds will slowly clear from southwest to northeast. Accessed May 1, 2024.
U.S. National Weather Service Binghamton NY, via Facebook
(2024, April 8) Sure, clouds aren’t great for a total solar eclipse. Accessed May 1, 2024.
The Washington Post (2024, April 4) Solar eclipses can make their own weather. Here’s how. Accessed May 1, 2024.
When Is the Next Eclipse (2024, March 2) What happens if it’s a cloudy eclipse? Accessed May 1, 2024.

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Teachable Moments | 
	March 18, 2024

The Science of Solar Eclipses and How to Watch With NASA
By Lyle Tavernier

Get ready for the April 8 total solar eclipse. Learn about the science behind solar eclipses, how to watch safely, and how to engage students in NASA science.

On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will be visible across much of the central and northeastern United States, as well as parts of Mexico and Canada. Whether you are traveling to the path of the total eclipse or will be able to step outside and watch the eclipse where you live, here's everything you need to know, including what to expect, how to watch safely, and how to engage in scientific observations and discovery with NASA. Jump To What Are Solar Eclipses? How to Watch the Upcoming Solar Eclipse What Solar Eclipses Mean for Science Taking Eclipse Science Farther Solar Eclipse Lessons and Projects Explore More What Are Solar Eclipses? Solar eclipses occur when the Sun, the Moon, and Earth align. For this alignment to happen, two things need to be true.
Student Project: How to Make a Pinhole Camera | NASA/JPL Edu
Each hole you create will turn into its own projection of the Sun, making for some neat effects. Grab a helper to take photos of your designs for a stellar art project you can enjoy even after the eclipse has ended.+ Expand image

8. What else can you use as a pinhole camera? Look for items around the house or classroom with small holes in them – like a colander – to act as your pinhole camera. As before, hold it over the card stock on the ground to see the projected image. What do you notice about the light shining through different objects? What about when you move the objects closer to your projected image or farther away?For a different kind of pinhole viewer, try printing out and building the SunRISE pinhole viewer (PDF) pictured above and modeled after NASA's SunRISE spacecraft, which are part of a mission designed to study space weather. (Printing on 11x17 cardstock is recommended, but other printer papers work, too.) As you build, learn about the mission's six toaster-size cubesats and how they will study solar activity, creating 3D maps of the Sun's radio emissions and magnetic field lines.You can also challenge yourself to make your own cereal box eclipse viewer, like so: + Expand image

9. How it works A pinhole camera works because the small hole you made with your pin, paper clip, or pencil acts like a tiny camera lens. Light from the Sun enters the pinhole (or the holes in an object like a colander), it gets focused, and then it is projected out of the other side of the hole. When the projected light reaches a surface, like the second piece of paper, you can see the image that passed through the pinhole.Learn more in the video above from artist Bob Miller's Light Walk at the Exploratorium in San Francisco, California.
 

Related TagsEarthEarth's MoonEclipseSolar EclipseAnnular EclipsePinhole CameraCamera ObscuraBuilding With PaperSunJump ToMaterials1. Learn about solar eclipses2. Start making your pinhole camera3. Tape on the foil4. Poke a hole5. Read this important safety note!6.
Cloudy With a Chance of Eclipse
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Total Solar Eclipse 2024

On April 8, 2024, the Moon crossed between the Sun and Earth during a total solar eclipse, darkening skies for millions of people in North America.

References & Resources

CNN (2024, April 5) Why a cloudy forecast doesn’t mean your eclipse is ruined. Accessed May 1, 2024.
NASA (2024) Eclipse Explorer. Accessed May 1, 2024.
NASA (2024) Citizen Science Projects. Accessed May 1, 2024.
NASA Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (2024, April) April 2024 Solar Eclipse—3-Day Cloud Cover Forecast. Accessed May 1, 2024.
NASA Earth Observatory (2024) Total Solar Eclipse 2024. Accessed May 1, 2024
The GLOBE Program GLOBE Eclipse. Accessed May 1, 2024.
The GLOBE Program Cloud Identification Chart. Accessed May 1, 2024
The GLOBE Program GLOBE Eclipse Challenge: Clouds and Our Solar-powered Earth. Accessed May 1, 2024.
Space.com (2024, April 2) What happens if it’s cloudy for the April 8 solar eclipse? Accessed May 1, 2024.
Trees, V., et al. (2024) Clouds dissipate quickly during solar eclipses as the land surface cools. Nature Communications Earth & Environment, 5(71).
U.S. National Weather Service Cleveland OH, via Facebook (2024, April 8) The partial eclipse has begun. Accessed May 1, 2024.
U.S. National Weather Service (2024, April 16) Meteorological Conditions across Vermont and northern New York During the Total Solar Eclipse of 8 April 2024. Accessed May 1, 2024.
U.S. National Weather Service Buffalo NY, via Facebook
(2024, April 8) Thick mid and high clouds will slowly clear from southwest to northeast. Accessed May 1, 2024.
Education News & Blogs – NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Subject Science Grades 1-8 Time 30-60 mins Lesson Measuring Solar Energy During an Eclipse Students use mobile devices to measure the impact a solar eclipse has on the energy received at Earth’s surface. Subject Math Grades 4-7 Time 1-2 hrs Lesson Modeling the Earth-Moon System Students learn about scale models and distance by creating a classroom-size Earth-Moon system. Subject Science Grades 6-8 Time 30-60 mins Math Problem Epic Eclipse Students use the mathematical constant pi to approximate the area of land covered by the Moon’s shadow during the eclipse. Subject Math Grades 6-12 Time < 30 mins Math Problem Eclipsing Enigma Students use pi to figure out how much of the Sun’s disk will be covered by the Moon during an eclipse and whether it’s a total or annular eclipse. Subject Math Grades 7-12 Time < 30 mins Mobile App NASA GLOBE Observer App Students can become citizen scientists and collect data for NASA’s GLOBE Program using this app available for iOS and Android devices. Explore MoreEclipse Info NASA Eclipses Website Calendar of Past and Upcoming Eclipses Downloadable Eclipse MapNASA HEAT Eclipse Training Slide DecksEclipse Safety Eclipse Safety Suppliers of Safe Solar Filters & ViewersInteractives Interactive Eclipse SimulationSolar Eclipse Sonification ToolCitizen Science NASA GLOBE AppFacts & Figures NASA Eclipse Science Earth’s Radiation BudgetNASA's Universe of Learning materials are based upon work supported by NASA under award number NNX16AC65A to the Space Telescope Science Institute, working in partnership with Caltech/IPAC, Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
TAGS: Solar Eclipse, Eclipse, Annular Eclipse, K-12 Education, Lessons, Classroom Resources, STEM Resources

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lyle Tavernier, Educational Technology Specialist, NASA-JPL Education Office

Lyle Tavernier is an educational technology specialist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. When he’s not busy working in the areas of distance learning and instructional technology, you might find him running with his dog, cooking or planning his next trip.

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Edu News | 
	September 6, 2017

Free Back-to-School Bulletin Board from NASA/JPL
By NASA/JPL Edu
Eclipses - NASA Science
SpaceManufacturing and MaterialsRoboticsScience InstrumentsComputingThe Universe ExoplanetsThe Search for Life in the UniverseStarsGalaxiesBlack HolesThe Big BangDark Matter &amp; Dark EnergyThe Solar System The SunMercuryVenusEarthThe MoonMarsJupiterSaturnUranusNeptunePluto &amp; Dwarf PlanetsAsteroids, Comets &amp; MeteorsThe Kuiper BeltThe Oort CloudSkywatchingEspañol CienciaAeronáuticaCiencias TerrestresSistema SolarUniversoScience All NASA ScienceEarth SciencePlanetary ScienceAstrophysics & Space ScienceThe Sun & HeliophysicsBiological & Physical SciencesLunar ScienceCitizen ScienceAstromaterialsAeronautics ResearchHuman Space Travel ResearchExploreSearchSubmitNews & EventsMultimediaNASA+HomeEclipsesEclipses OverviewSafetyScienceTypesHistoryNASA ResearchGeometryFAQCitizen ScienceFuture EclipsesOverview2023 Annular Solar Eclipse2024 Total Solar EclipseStories & EventsAll Eclipse StoriesShadow NotesEventsFor MediaResources & MoreResourcesGlossaryExplore This SectionEclipses OverviewSafetyScienceFuture EclipsesStories & EventsFor MediaResources & MoreEclipsesWhen the Earth, Moon, and Sun line up in space, we can see an eclipse. NASA studies eclipses from the ground, in our atmosphere, and in space, influencing solar, planetary, and Earth science.About EclipsesAn eclipse is an awe-inspiring celestial event that drastically changes the appearance of the two biggest objects we see in our sky: our Sun and Moon. On Earth, people can experience solar and lunar eclipses when Earth, the Moon, and the Sun line up. Safety is the number one priority when viewing a solar eclipse. Be sure to follow these safety guidelines when viewing a solar eclipse.Quick FactsThe next total solar eclipse visible in the contiguous United States will be on Aug. 23, 2044.Lunar eclipses occur during the full moon phase, and solar eclipses occur during the new moon phase.We can't normally see the corona –—the Sun's outer atmosphere — because Sun's surface below it is so much brighter.
Activities for Students – NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Estas son solo algunas de las formas en que pi nos ayuda a explorar el espacio.TAGS:AsteroidsCometsEarthEn EspañolSpanishPiPi DayExoplanetsJupiterMarsMissionsPlutoRoversSaturnSmall BodiesSpacecraftSunUniverse

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Learn what happens during a total lunar eclipse, when and where to watch the next one – and, when the time is right, rate an eclipse based on its brightness and color!

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Watch and Measure a Total Lunar Eclipse

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Watch and Measure a Total Lunar Eclipse

Learn what happens during a total lunar eclipse, when and where to watch the next one – and, when the time is right, rate an eclipse based on its brightness and color!TAGS:EarthEarth's Mooneclipselunar eclipseSun

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Education News & Blogs – NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Subject Science Grades 6-8 Time 30-60 mins Math Problem Epic Eclipse Students use the mathematical constant pi to approximate the area of land covered by the Moon’s shadow during the eclipse. Subject Math Grades 6-12 Time < 30 mins Math Problem Eclipsing Enigma Students use pi to figure out how much of the Sun’s disk will be covered by the Moon during an eclipse and whether it’s a total or annular eclipse. Subject Math Grades 7-12 Time < 30 mins Mobile App NASA GLOBE Observer App Students can become citizen scientists and collect data for NASA’s GLOBE Program using this app available for iOS and Android devices. Explore MoreEclipse Info NASA Eclipses Website Calendar of Past and Upcoming Eclipses Downloadable Eclipse MapNASA HEAT Eclipse Training Slide DecksEclipse Safety Eclipse Safety Suppliers of Safe Solar Filters & ViewersInteractives Interactive Eclipse SimulationSolar Eclipse Sonification ToolCitizen Science NASA GLOBE AppFacts & Figures NASA Eclipse Science Earth’s Radiation BudgetNASA's Universe of Learning materials are based upon work supported by NASA under award number NNX16AC65A to the Space Telescope Science Institute, working in partnership with Caltech/IPAC, Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
TAGS: Solar Eclipse, Eclipse, Annular Eclipse, K-12 Education, Lessons, Classroom Resources, STEM Resources

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lyle Tavernier, Educational Technology Specialist, NASA-JPL Education Office

Lyle Tavernier is an educational technology specialist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. When he’s not busy working in the areas of distance learning and instructional technology, you might find him running with his dog, cooking or planning his next trip.

READ MORE

Teachable Moments | 
	March 7, 2024

A Prime Year for NASA's Pi Day Challenge
By Lyle Tavernier

Learn how pi is used by NASA and how many of its infinite digits have been calculated, then explore the science and engineering behind the 2024 Pi Day Challenge.

Update: March 15, 2024 – The answers to the 2024 NASA Pi Day Challenge are here! Take a peek at the illustrated answer key now available under each problem on the NASA Pi Day Challenge page.This year marks the 11th installment of the NASA Pi Day Challenge.
Snap it! An Eclipse Photo Adventure | NASA Space Place – NASA Science for Kids
Objects that are far away, like Mercury, look smaller — even though Mercury is an entire planet that’s even larger than the Moon. Objects that are closer to Earth – or even in Earth’s atmosphere, like a plane – look bigger. Here are some examples from the real world:

Mercury can be seen crossing the face of the Sun at the bottom of this picture. Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

The International Space Station crosses in front of the Sun. Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky

After the time is up, you’ll be able to review your photos. You’ll also find information about the objects you captured. Select your favorite snaps to make postcards. You can decorate and save them to share with your friends and family. Play again to discover rare objects and take more photos!

Links to Other Resources

Total Solar Eclipse Safety
Learn more about the April 8, 2024, total solar eclipse
Learn more about solar eclipses
Learn more about the Sun

Credits
AJ Christensen, developer
Dwight Doyle, music composer
Mara Johnson-Groh, writer
Krystofer Kim, designer
Brenda Lopez Silva, animator
Joy Ng, producer
Kristen Perrin, graphics support
Scott Wiessinger, music support

Special Thanks to:
Kyle Mansfield
Jessica Stoller-Conrad
Barb Mattson
Mike Tissenbaum
And our many playtesters

 	article last updated April 4, 2024
 

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