{"id":976,"date":"2017-08-23T12:51:03","date_gmt":"2017-08-23T12:51:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.mathworks.com\/headlines\/?p=976"},"modified":"2020-06-25T09:48:17","modified_gmt":"2020-06-25T13:48:17","slug":"90-minute-eclipse-video-to-provide-scientists-with-never-before-available-data","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.mathworks.com\/headlines\/2017\/08\/23\/90-minute-eclipse-video-to-provide-scientists-with-never-before-available-data\/","title":{"rendered":"90-Minute Eclipse Video To Provide Scientists With Never Before Available Data"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mathematicians and scientists have used solar eclipses to study the solar system, and more specifically the sun itself, for thousands of years. As\u00a0The New York Times<\/em>\u00a0article,\u00a0The Illuminating Power of Eclipses<\/a>, explained, \u201cWith the sun obscured, eclipses can be revelatory: Starting at least over 2,000 years ago, they have been fodder for significant discoveries.\u201d<\/p>\n

These studies have led to the\u00a0discovery of helium<\/a>, the universe\u2019s second most common element, proved (and then disproved) the existence of the planet\u00a0Vulcan<\/a>, and even\u00a0verified Einstein\u2019s theory<\/a>\u00a0of general relativity. As the centuries marched on, many of these discoveries were made possible by improvements in the apparatuses used to observe and record data from the eclipses.<\/p>\n

This week\u2019s eclipse, combined with advanced technology and computing power, will result in a unique scientific asset that could ultimately outshine all previous discoveries. Enter Citizen CATE.<\/p>\n

To make the most of this week\u2019s event, the\u00a0National Solar Observatory<\/a>\u00a0(NSO) created the\u00a0Citizen CATE<\/a>\u00a0(Continental-America Telescopic Eclipse) Experiment. CATE volunteers were banded together into 68 groups that spread out across the path of totality to record the eclipse. The goal of CATE was to produce a scientifically unique data set: high-resolution, rapid cadence white light images of the inner corona for the entire 90 minutes of the eclipse.<\/p>\n

According to the CATE website, \u201cThe real strength of the CATE data is that for the first time it will reveal a time sequence of coronal continuum intensity at relatively high spatial and temporal resolution for 90 minutes duration. Time variable phenomenon studied in the corona using narrow-band images which probe particular temperature regimes will now be visible using white light images which probe all temperatures of the corona. Because total solar eclipses last only a few minutes at each location, these types of studies are impossible unless data from several eclipse locations are combined.\u201d<\/p>\n

When complete, the combined data from the sites will give scientists a higher resolution map of the plumes\u2019 locations. Scientists also hope to measure movement within the plumes using the extended observation session.\u00a0The images from the Citizen CATE sites should increase understanding of the corona\u2019s internal movements.<\/a><\/p>\n

Solar plumes are thought to be the origin of high-speed solar wind. Large solar plumes have the potential to interfere with the Earth\u2019s power grids, GPS and satellite systems.\u00a0In 1989<\/a>, a massive solar plume knocked out power grids across North America, creating an outage that affected millions of people.<\/p>\n

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Capturing the Sun<\/h2>\n

To combine the data from various eclipse locations, each of the 68 groups used identical equipment. This was critical to ensure the data from each site could be combined into a single video. The equipment included an 80-mm refractor telescope from DayStar filters, a motorized\u00a0mount\u00a0and drive system from Celestron that tracked the movement of the eclipse, and a 5.0 MP Mono USB3 Vision camera. Each team also was given a laptop that ran an application written in\u00a0MATLAB\u00a0<\/a>to control the camera and capture the images during the eclipse.<\/p>\n

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A live image histogram, calculated with the\u00a0imhist\u00a0function in Image Processing Toolbox, provided visual feedback for optimizing the exposure time.<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

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Each group captured 1,000 images of the eclipse as it traveled through their area. The teams then used MATLAB to create a high-dynamic range (HDR) image from each multiple exposure\u00a0cycle. These images will be combined to create the 90-minute video of the eclipse.<\/p>\n

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This HDR image was obtained from combining a cycle of 8 multiple exposure images.<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

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So far, 56 teams have provided data while five of the 68 sites were obscured by cloud cover. The remaining seven sites have not yet submitted data. Below is some of the video that has already been created.<\/p>\n

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Once the team processes the video from all the teams, the full video will be available on the NSO site. Check back to see the video. I\u2019ll post the link as soon as it\u2019s available.<\/p>\n

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Eclipse facts<\/h2>\n