SLU meteorology students prep to assist NASA in studying April’s eclipse
Along with the tens of millions of people in the United States getting ready for the Great American Eclipse in April, a class of meteorology students at Saint Louis University (SLU) are completing the test runs of an experiment they will run in Cape Girardeau as the eclipse happens A class of meteorology students from Saint Louis University (SLU) are preparing to assist NASA in studying the Great American Eclipse in April. The students are launching weather balloons to study how the eclipse impacts the temperature and atmosphere, and will share their findings with NASA once they are completed. The experiment will be conducted in Cape Girardeau as the eclipse occurs. The hands-on experience in the field will guide these scientists beyond the April 8 eclipse. Students will also use the experience to identify trends in temperature and pressure changes in the path of totality.
Published : 2 months ago by David Amelotti in Science
ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - Along with the tens of millions of people in the United States getting ready for the Great American Eclipse in April, a class of meteorology students at Saint Louis University (SLU) are completing the test runs of an experiment they will run in Cape Girardeau as the eclipse happens.
The students are launching weather balloons to study how the eclipse impacts the temperature and atmosphere. When the experiment is complete, they will share their findings with NASA. SLU is one of hundreds of groups supporting this national science experiment.
“We are trying to see how the lowest layer of the atmosphere changes with respect to temperature and pressure during the eclipse,” senior and drone operator James Bergmann explained. “We are trying to measure temperature, pressure, humidity as well as record GPS data so we can track wind speed and wind direction.”
To collect the desired data, these students launch weather balloons with devices called radiosondes attached.
“We were around 20 minutes,” student Riley Jackson said.
Jackson, who is in his first year of his master’s program, said the below freezing temps Monday morning are to blame. His team wants to see this setup and launch time cut down in half.
“We only have a three-hour span. The eclipse is not just going to stop because we take too long on certain things,” Jackson said.
Maggie Idecker said hands-on experience in the field teaches you things classroom theory can’t do justice.
“I’ve been doing this for four years now, to apply this to a research project. This is a dream come true. I’ve wanted to do this my entire life,” Idecker said.
The findings follow Professor Robert Paskins’ 2017 class, who studied the eclipse that year that placed the St. Louis metro in totality. His students then saw trends suggesting the temperature changes varied in the path of totality when comparing the edge to the center.
Paskins called Monday’s test mission a success but not for any data collected but that his students took the risk of failing.
“Everybody gets to make a mistake, let’s make it now and not on April 8,” Paskins said.
That experience will power these scientists beyond the April eclipse.
“We get a glimpse at what we would do in the future and confirm this, is what we want to do for the rest of our lives,” Idecker said.
Professor Paskins said the unsung heroes in these students getting the opportunity to study the eclipse are Trail of Tears Park in Cape Girardeau and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources for providing a space for these students to put their skills to the test on April 8.
Paskins students will drive down to Cape Girardeau early to setup alongside NASA scientists on April 8. They say the Trail of Tears Park has reached max capacity with 10,000 people registered to view totality together.
To learn more about how university students are contributing to NASA’s research of the April 8 eclipse, click here to head to NASA’s website where you can find out how you can help the agency by keeping your smartphone nearby when in totality.
Topics: Space, NASA