Alpena Elementary Students to Aid NASA in 2024 Eclipse Data Collection

On April 8, 2024, many students from Alpena Elementary in northwest Arkansas will join a NASA-led program. They will collect data during a solar eclipse to study the Sun's impact on various climates. The data includes air temperature and cloud images. Students will visit their school's weather station frequently before the eclipse to gather this data. They will use a phone app, GLOBE, to upload their findings.

GLOBE is a program that collects data on various environmental factors. It aims to make science and math more accessible to students. Alpena Elementary's science and math teacher, Roger Rose, believes the program gives students a sense of purpose. Participants only need a thermometer and a smartphone with the GLOBE Observer app to contribute to the eclipse project.

The GLOBE eclipse tool was used during the 2017 North American eclipse. NASA researchers used the collected data to study the relationship between clouds and air temperature. They found that temperature changes were more significant in areas with less cloud cover. Marilé Colón Robles, a NASA meteorologist, emphasized the importance of amateur observers in this research.

The 2024 eclipse will pass through various regions, including deserts, mountains, and coastal areas. Observations from these areas will help researchers understand the relationship between cloud cover and ground temperatures. NASA Langley data scientist, Ashlee Autore, praised citizen science for its detailed observations.

The 2024 eclipse is expected to attract many citizen scientists. John Olgin, a geophysicist at El Paso Community College in Texas, said they are inviting the entire El Paso community to their campus. The area will experience a near-total eclipse, with about 80% of the Sun covered at its peak. The 2024 eclipse will be visible to over 30 million people, with many more seeing a partial eclipse. This event is expected to raise awareness of NASA's citizen science programs and encourage participation.

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