"NASA Releases Unprecedented Solar Corona Data from Volunteer Eclipse Megamovie"

"NASA's Eclipse Megamovie project captures 52,000+ images of solar corona during April 8, 2024 eclipse, thanks to 143 volunteer 'observatories.' Researcher

Solar Volunteers Deliver Unprecedented Corona Data in First-Ever White-Light Eclipse Megamovie

----------------------

Summary

- NASA's Eclipse Megamovie project, involving volunteers across the U.S., captures groundbreaking images of the Sun's corona during the April 8, 2024 solar eclipse.

- The Eclipse Megamovie team has released a dataset consisting of over 52,000 photographs and spanning more than an hour and a half of observations.

- Researchers worldwide can access this data to study solar jets and plumes, while the public can download it as well.

----------------------

Volunteer Contributions

- The dataset was made possible by contributions from 143 unique mobile "observatories," comprised of volunteers with precision cameras and a keen interest in astronomy.

- These volunteers took extra steps to ensure calibration frames, allowing for detailed analysis of the corona's evolution from one observer to another.

----------------------

Data Accessibility

- The data is available online at . It includes contributions from various locations across the U.S., searchable by observatory name and location.

- The files come in three levels of processing: raw (level 1) data, calibrated (level 2) data, and calibrated level 3 images. The standard astronomical data format used is FITS (Flexible Image Transport System).

----------------------

Quality Assurance and Collaboration

- Notably, 28 observatories produced calibrated level 3 images due to clear skies, sufficient calibration frames, and unique exposure times.

- The Eclipse Megamovie team at Sonoma State University, University of California, Berkeley, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, and EdEon STEM Learning programmer Troy Wilson collaborated extensively to create this database.

----------------------

Impact and Appreciation

- Researchers worldwide can now use these observations to identify solar jets leaving the Sun's surface and study how solar plumes grow and develop.

- Eclipse Megamovie volunteer Jessi McKenna expressed gratitude for the project's support, citing a collaborative and appreciative environment among volunteers and project leaders.

---

Source: Read Original Article