Ten Surprises For Scientists And Skywatchers During The Total Solar Eclipse (Synopsis) [Starts With A Bang]

“All that is now
All that is gone
All that’s to come
and everything under the sun is in tune
but the sun is eclipsed by the moon.” -Pink Floyd

No matter how well-prepared you were for your first total solar eclipse, no amount of reading or photograph-searching could do the experience justice. There were so many things to feel, see, and be overwhelmed by that you literally needed to be there to relate to. Yet it was remarkable how many things there were that surprised scientists and skywatchers alike.

There is no special filter necessary to bring out the pink coronal loops near the very edge of the Sun. Image credit: Brett Boller.

The temperatures really did plummet, and they dropped by more than even the weather models predicted. There was a star and a planet visible, but not the planets we thought would arrive. The sky turned red along the horizon, which was a mystery for centuries, even after we learned why the sky is blue. And the light, the way it looked across the landscape, was a unique treat that you’ll never experience during any other time than an eclipse itself.

The Flock weather satellites were placed up into orbit only over the past few years. For some lucky skywatchers, a Flock-2 satellite was visible during totality. Image credit: NASA.

Here are ten surprises that left me (and millions of others) in awe of the experience. It’s why the 2017 total eclipse, my first, will definitely not be my last!

from ScienceBlogs http://ift.tt/2imcjsM

“All that is now
All that is gone
All that’s to come
and everything under the sun is in tune
but the sun is eclipsed by the moon.” -Pink Floyd

No matter how well-prepared you were for your first total solar eclipse, no amount of reading or photograph-searching could do the experience justice. There were so many things to feel, see, and be overwhelmed by that you literally needed to be there to relate to. Yet it was remarkable how many things there were that surprised scientists and skywatchers alike.

There is no special filter necessary to bring out the pink coronal loops near the very edge of the Sun. Image credit: Brett Boller.

The temperatures really did plummet, and they dropped by more than even the weather models predicted. There was a star and a planet visible, but not the planets we thought would arrive. The sky turned red along the horizon, which was a mystery for centuries, even after we learned why the sky is blue. And the light, the way it looked across the landscape, was a unique treat that you’ll never experience during any other time than an eclipse itself.

The Flock weather satellites were placed up into orbit only over the past few years. For some lucky skywatchers, a Flock-2 satellite was visible during totality. Image credit: NASA.

Here are ten surprises that left me (and millions of others) in awe of the experience. It’s why the 2017 total eclipse, my first, will definitely not be my last!

from ScienceBlogs http://ift.tt/2imcjsM