University of Chicago astronomy students prepare for trip of a lifetime for solar eclipse
Monday’s total solar eclipse will be an out-of-this-world lesson for about 50 astronomy students from the University of Chicago. The class will head south to Carbondale to be in the path of totality. The University of Chicago astronomy students are preparing for a lifetime trip to see the total solar eclipse, which will take place in Carbondale, Illinois. The students will be led by Professor Josh Frieman, Chair of the University’s Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, who will lead the bus trip. The weather forecast remains uncertain, as it is possible that clouds could cover the eclipse, but it will still be dark and people will still see strange phenomena. The solar corona is made up of super-hot gas and plasma escaping the sun, which can be seen with the naked eye during a total eclipse in the path of totality. Students will return the day after the event, anticipating traffic and delays but hopeful for a once-in-a-lifetime lesson about our universe.
Yayınlanan : 4 hafta önce ile Randy Gyllenhaal içinde
Monday’s total solar eclipse will be an out-of-this-world lesson for about 50 astronomy students from the University of Chicago. The class will head south to Carbondale to be in the path of totality.
“Something about everybody looking up into the sky is so amazing and so powerful,” first-year student Maya Atassi said. “I want to make more people do that in my career.”
For weeks, the students have been learning about eclipses, the solar corona, and what will happen when the moon perfectly blocks the sun. In Carbondale, the full eclipse will last four minutes.
“It’s the only time we can see it with the naked eye,” said Professor Josh Frieman, Chair of the University’s Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics.
Frieman will lead the bus trip to Southern Illinois.
He said the weather forecast remains up in the air, as it’s possible clouds could cover the eclipse. If that happens, it will still get dark and people will still see strange phenomena.
“The birds go quiet. If you’re near a farm, you may see the cows start to go home. Dogs might start to bark,” he explained. “What we won’t get if it’s cloudy is the incredible visual of the solar corona.”
The solar corona is made up of super-hot gas and plasma escaping the sun, which can be seen with the naked eye during a total eclipse in the path of totality.
The Chicago students won’t be the only ones driving to totality.
Millions will sit in hours of traffic to get there, from Texas to Vermont. New data shows that rental listings from Airbnb and Vrbo are almost all sold out.
“Just about every single major city, we’re seeing 90 percent and above,” said Jamie Lane with Denver-based AirDNA, which tracks rental listings.
The company released a heat map showing intense rental interest along the entire path from coast to coast.
“Most events are very isolated, like a concert or a Super Bowl,” Lane said. “This just really lit up the country.”
The students will return the same day, anticipating traffic and delays, but hopeful for a once-in-a-lifetime lesson about our universe.
Konular: Academia