Follow the Sun

We are now just three weeks out from a total solar eclipse traversing the United States. Those lucky enough to be in the direct path will experience totality for some 2-and-a-half minutes. NASA will stretch that totality to over eight minutes by flying a retired bomber aircraft to chase the solar eclipse Monday 8/21. Their intent is to study the corona in Hi-Res Infra Red and Visible light to try to understand why, if the corona is so hot (millions of degrees), it is so uniform and organized. NASA will also will look for asteroids near the sun and Mercury.

Brown University scientists have identified additional water signatures on the moon. Indication from analysis of surface lava flows suggests that the mantle of the moon contains larger amounts of water than previously expected. There are potential implications for use of the moon as a forward base of exploration of the solar system.