Great American Eclipse created bow waves in our atmosphere
- 6 years ago
SPACE — The total solar eclipse in August 2017 left bow waves in the Earth's upper atmosphere, like a boat sailing through water.
On August 21, researchers from MIT's Haystack Observatory and the University of Tromsø in Norway were able to find "the first unambiguous evidence" of atmospheric bow-waves.
The team published their findings in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.
The bow-wave theory says that a total solar eclipse will create high-pressure pockets under the moon's shadow that then slice through low-pressure air as the path of totality moves across the planet. These air pockets then generate small bow waves in the atmosphere.
During the August eclipse, the scientists collected data from around 2,000 satellite sensors placed across North America.
They detected tiny bow waves in Earth's ionosphere, the section of the atmosphere that begins 37 miles above the surface.
The researchers said their study, "reveals complex interconnections between the Sun, Moon and Earth's neutral atmosphere and ionosphere."
On August 21, researchers from MIT's Haystack Observatory and the University of Tromsø in Norway were able to find "the first unambiguous evidence" of atmospheric bow-waves.
The team published their findings in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.
The bow-wave theory says that a total solar eclipse will create high-pressure pockets under the moon's shadow that then slice through low-pressure air as the path of totality moves across the planet. These air pockets then generate small bow waves in the atmosphere.
During the August eclipse, the scientists collected data from around 2,000 satellite sensors placed across North America.
They detected tiny bow waves in Earth's ionosphere, the section of the atmosphere that begins 37 miles above the surface.
The researchers said their study, "reveals complex interconnections between the Sun, Moon and Earth's neutral atmosphere and ionosphere."