The US will witness a total solar eclipse on 21 August. Photo: ReutersWashington: American space agency Nasa is set to study the Earth’s ionosphere during the upcoming total solar eclipse in the US, to better understand the Sun’s relationship to the region of the atmosphere where satellites orbit and radio signals are reflected towards our planet. However, the total solar eclipse will also have imperceptible effects, such as the sudden loss of extreme ultraviolet radiation from the Sun, which generates the ionised layer of the Earth’s atmosphere, called the ionosphere. During the eclipse, scientists will know exactly how much solar radiation is blocked, the area of land it is blocked over and for how long. Combined with measurements of the ionosphere during the eclipse, they will have information on both the solar input and corresponding ionosphere response, enabling them to study the mechanisms underlying ionospheric changes better than ever before.

Source: Mint August 11, 2017 13:07 UTC