When a total solar eclipse sweeps across the United States on 8 April, scientists and enthusiasts alike will be there to document it.
the Sun
Posted inFeatures
The End of the Eclipse
Scientists are studying how the Earth–Moon distance has changed over time, and what effect that change might have had on our planet. Future changes will extinguish total solar eclipses entirely.
Posted inEditors' Vox
Exploring Alfvén Waves Across Space—and Disciplines
A new book presents an interdisciplinary review of Alfvén wave research, sharing the latest insights from the solar, planetary, and terrestrial sciences.
Posted inNews
Low-Level Clouds Disappear During a Solar Eclipse
Cumulus clouds rapidly dissipate as the land surface cools, a finding that has implications for Sun-obscuring geoengineering efforts.
Posted inNews
Passing Stars Shorten Earth’s Time Horizon
Stars in the solar neighborhood could jostle planetary orbits, making it harder to turn back the clock and examine Earth’s orbital or climate history.
Posted inEditors' Vox
The Twists and Turns of Helicity Studies
A new book explores the fundamental role that helicities play in different astrophysical and geophysical phenomena and presents perspectives from various scientific disciplines that study them.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Solar Eclipses May Initiate Disturbances in Geospace
The statistical evidence from 21 years of data suggests that a solar eclipse may trigger a geomagnetic substorm, which is a disturbance in the Earth’s magnetosphere and ionosphere.
Posted inNews
Magnetic Tangles Drive Solar Wind
Energetic collisions between magnetic fields produce gusty solar wind.
Posted inEditors' Vox
How Big Data is Helping Environmental and Climate Research
A new special collection invites papers focusing on the processing, modeling, and analysis of all types of big datasets in the Earth and space sciences, including the influence of solar forcing on Earth’s climate.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Updated Reference Standard for Total Solar Irradiance
Version 2 of the Total and Spectral Solar Irradiance Sensor-1 Hybrid Solar Reference Spectrum captures a spectral resolution spanning 0.115-200 micrometers and integrates nearly 100% of the TSI energy.