CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — April’s total solar eclipse promises to be a scientific bonanza, thanks to new spacecraft and telescopes — and cosmic chance. The moon will be extra close to Earth, providing a long and intense period of darkness, and the sun should be more active with the potential for dramatic bursts of plasma. Then there’s totality’s densely populated corridor stretching from Mexico to the U.S. to Canada. Hundreds if not thousands of the tens of millions of spectators will double as “citizen scientists,” helping NASA and other research groups better understand our planet and star. They’ll photograph the sun’s outer crownlike atmosphere, or corona, as the moon passes between the sun and Earth, blotting out sunlight for up to 4 minutes and 28 seconds on April 8. They’ll observe the quieting of birds and other animals as midday darkness falls. They’ll also measure dropping temperatures, monitor clouds and use ham radios to gauge communication disruptions. |
China records nearly 5 bln domestic trips in 2023China's CPI up 0.1 pct in MarchR&D seen as key to success of private firmsBoeing delivers B787 Dreamliner to Juneyao AirlinesPromotional campaign for China's ice and snow tourism launched in DubaiChina defeats Brazil, to battle Poland in VNL Finals semisDevelopment to remain the focus in 75th year of nation's foundingHighlights of 2022 Asian Open Figure Skating TrophyChina's outbound tourism thrives during Chinese New Year holidaysSouthwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region reports record tourism revenue in 2023