[slate]
So the GLOBE Observer
app is a free citizen science app available in Google play and
on the Apple store. And what it does is it walks you through doing data collection.
So we have clouds, for the eclipse we're using clouds where it
will ask you what type of cloud you see, how much of the sky is covered by clouds.
And we're also adding air temperature where you just use a simple thermometer and
you measure how much the air temperature is changing during the eclipse.
[slate]
So the first thing to do is to
download the free GLOBE Observer app which is available on Google play and
on the IOS Apple store. And so you do need
to register that. Just we need an email to send you a password. And that you can
do cloud observations just with that. If you want to do air temperature
then the next thing you need is just some kind of really simple thermometer. It can be
a liquid filled thermometer like one of these. Or it can be a digital thermometer
if you have like a thermometer for your patio. Ideally you want something that's
to measure weather and air temperature. And then all you need to do is
on the day of the eclipse go into the app and it'll remind you when to
make observations. It'll actually get your location so it'll know when you're point of maximum
eclipse is and give you reminder about when to make measurements. We actually also
encourage people. You can start doing cloud observations now. So you can go practice
your cloud observations today and get familiar with how that part of the
app works. And then temperature measurements will start being available August 18th.
So you can even take measurements a few days before to make sure you know how to
all the buttons works. And how the app walks you through the steps.
[slate]
Well so the data is going into
GLOBE program database which is a very long standing student citizen
science project having teachers and students collect data together. So that data
is available there for those students to do projects. We have some NASA
researchers at NASA Goddard who are going to take a look. And if we get enough data
it's distributed well and if it's good quality then they will also
consider looking at that for their research. But I also think it's important that you
citizen scientists themselves, if you're contributing data or even if you're not
you can go in and you can actually check out what other people have observed
the observations that have been made in other parts of the country
and look for your own patterns within the data.
[second SOT about data] The reason we want to collect this
data is because the Earth systems are all interconnected. If the sun's light
stops for this short period of time it's going to effect
clouds and temperature that then interact with other systems in the Earth. And we can
use the information about the changes that happen to look at weather modeling
and climate modeling and all sorts of research that's being done to
into how these processes are changing over time.
[slate]
Well so the truth is that NASA we can't be everywhere
and by recruiting all these citizen scientists to help collect data
we're getting data from places we would not be able to get it otherwise.
There is no way that we would collect data across the entire
country without having the help of people downloading the app and
collecting the data. And i do also think it makes people more aware of what's happening
around them. Once you start observing clouds you'll start to see how quickly
they change and how interesting they can be. So I think there's a benefit for observers
as well. They're contributing to the database but they're also increasing their awareness
of what's actually in the environment around them and that's very important too. For
that eight year old but also for adults as well.
[Second SOT about participation] Well the first reason to participate
is just because it's fun. Using the app will make you see clouds in a new way.
You'll start to observe how quickly they change and what types of clouds you're
seeing in the sky. And during the eclipse I think it will make you more
aware of some of the other things that are happening like the air temperature dropping.
But the other reason we really need your participation is the fact that we cannot
be everywhere collecting data ourselves. And so you can really
be helpful to us by providing this really broad range of data
everywhere from totality to partial eclipse and putting that
into a database that we can access. The data will go into
the GLOBE database which is a longstanding citizen science project that's been
going for more than 20 years having teachers and students collect data so that
data will not only go into a database that's accessible to NASA scientists
as well as the citizen scientists themselves, but also that students
use for their own research projects. So you're also supporting student
involvement in science and engineering and math.
[slate]
Well I do want to make a
quick note about safety. Although you don't need to look at the sun at all
during GLOBE Observer observations, you just need your thermometer and your
looking at the clouds. It is very important that if you are going to try and look at the sun directly
that you make sure you have safe viewing glasses. There are ways to
look with a pinhole projection or use something like one of these
3D printed pinhole projectors if you want to look at the sun indirectly
or observe the eclipse indirectly. But make sure that if you are
looking at the sun that you do not do it without your safe viewing glasses.
[second SOT about safety] So you don't need
to look at the sun at all to do the cloud observations, to do the temperature observations
But anytime except during that brief period of totality
if you do want to look at the sun make sure you have your safe viewing glasses. That's really
important. You do not want to damage your eyes by looking at the sun.
Now if you don't have those viewing glasses there's a lot of different
still observe the eclipse and basically project an image of the sun
that you will see the moon
eating away at it. So on the NASA eclipse website
eclipse2017.nasa.gov there's lot of different ways to be able to view the eclipse
including something like this. This is just a 3D printed pinhole camera that you can use to
project the sun. So do make sure you are safe when viewing the eclipse.
[slate]
Absolutely we want data from everywhere
on the path of totality and off the path of totality. Because even if you're not
in those two and two and a half minutes of seeing the corona, the sun is still
blocked. there is still reduced energy reaching the Earth's surface even
in the areas of partial eclipse. And that should, we should be able to
see some effects on temperature and clouds because of that drop in energy.
reaching the Earth's surface. [Second SOT] We absolutely
need observers both from the path of totality and off the path of totality.
Even though you're not seeing that for that two and a half
minutes of full darkness if you're in a partial eclipse area. The sun
light is still being diminished for the period of the eclipse. So there's
should be an effect on temperature, less than if you're on totality
because there's less blocking overall, but you will still see an impact
if you are not under the total eclipse path.
[slate]
Well I just
have to say I'm really excited for everybody to be participating in this project
We could not do it without the help of the citizen scientists across the country
helping us collect data and we really appreciate it.
[slate]
So the eclipse offers a really unique natural
experiment. A lot of the processes on Earth are affected by
sunlight. Things like cloud formation, evaporation, all of those sort of things are
affected by sunlight. So during the eclipse we have a unique to take
data when the sun is blocked, and when we're not getting that sunlight
for a period of time. But NASA scientists can't be everywhere we need to be
to collect really comprehensive data. So that's where we need the help of citizen scientist
who are distributed all across the country, whether they're in totality
or not in totality, collecting data about what's happening with the clouds and the air temperature
during this really neat event.