what is the importance of solar eclipse to professional astronomers?
January 4th, 2009 | by Michael |
aabbcc asked:
If we can use the coronografo to see the corona of the sun, even normal day, then what is the need for scientists to wait for an eclipse to see total solar corona and the chromosphere of the sun. What else can scientists observed during the total solar eclipse?
HERSHEL
If we can use the coronografo to see the corona of the sun, even normal day, then what is the need for scientists to wait for an eclipse to see total solar corona and the chromosphere of the sun. What else can scientists observed during the total solar eclipse?
HERSHEL
3 Responses to “what is the importance of solar eclipse to professional astronomers?”
By uststrainer on Jan 5, 2009 | Reply
It has to do with the signal to noise ratio. On a clear night, look up at the stars with a flashlight pointed toward you. Then remove the light. You can see more stars.
By observing during the eclipse, even a partial eclipse, the majority of unwanted light (noise) is attenuated by the moon. When the corona graph, which already has a filter for the center, has the light blocked by the moon, the fainter light can be observed.
By Geoff G on Jan 8, 2009 | Reply
None whatsoever, except that they’re pretty to look at (eclipses, not professional astronomers!)
By mombo on Jan 9, 2009 | Reply
Now that we have SOHO and other satellites in space focused on the Sun, there isn’t that much except the beauty of a solar eclipse.
But, years and years ago astronomers used the first contact, second contact,etc to do the math to figure out how big the sun is. From lunar eclipses they were able to do the math from the shadow of the earth going over the face of the moon to figure out how big the moon and the Earth were. A friend in our astronomy club is into the math and is teaching a class on measuring the universe and has used the recent transits of Mercury and Venus, and the lunar eclipse and he’s doing all the math. Very interesting, but too much math for me.