1 August 2008, 09:21-11:21 UT
Notwithstanding sophisticated ground-based coronagraphs, other instruments on the ground and on board SOHO and other spacecraft, any total solar eclipse is an exciting opportunity for unique observations from the ground. Free from the overwhelming glare from the Sun itself, the corona that surrounds it is usually the prime target for the observations.
So almost invariably during an eclipse, expeditions go out to whatever sites are deemed most favourable, to capture what may be a once-in-a-lifetime observation of phenomena that are otherwise hidden by the brightness of the Sun.
To make the most of the observations, however, a number of expeditions are relying on additional data supplied from SOHO and other spacecraft, either to determine the pointing of their instruments (for those with a limited field of view), for context information to help interpret the data in a broader setting, or both.
This page has pointers to an overview of the collaborations and support observations provided by SOHO, as well as a collection of related useful and hopefully interesting links.
SOHO Links
- Support for eclipse expeditions
- SOHO's position between the Moon and the Sun
- Real-time images; see also
Past eclipses observed with SOHO
Observations by other spacecraft
Miscellaneous Links
- NASA Eclipse website
- Williams College Astronomy Eclipse Expeditions.
- IAU Eclipse page
- IAU Program Group on Public Education on the Occasions of Solar Eclipses
- The Solar Physics Group of the SAIC and the group's coronal modelling prediction of the 1 Aug 2008 eclipse.
Eclipse in the news
- CNN/28 Jul 2008: Seeing total solar eclipse difficult, expensive
- Space.com/31 Jul 2008: Solar Eclipse Friday to Fascinate Millions
- BBC/1 Aug 2008: World watches total sun eclipse
- Sky Nightly/1 Aug 2008: Gasps, nervousness greet total solar eclipse
Last modified on 4 Aug 2008 17:25 UT by T. Siili
