Starship Asterisk*

[attachment=0]druckmuller_SolarCorona_TSE2015_Svalbard.jpg[/attachment]

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The international Solar Wind Sherpas team, led by Dr. Shadia Habbal of the University of Hawaii at Manoa Institute for Astronomy, braved Arctic weather to successfully observe the total solar eclipse of March 20 from Longyearbyen on the island of Spitsbergen in the Svalbard archipelago east of northern Greenland. ...

It was no easy feat. Ever-changing weather predictions, subfreezing temperatures of –4 degrees F (–20 C) and the danger from polar bears were some of the challenges the team faced, but their years of preparation paid off. The sky over the snow-covered landscape was crystal clear before, during and after totality, so they were able to capture a beautiful solar corona.

Because the Svalbard archipelago, like the Hawaiian Islands, has microclimates, the team observed at two locations to increase its chances of seeing the eclipse. With local support, the team was able to set up its equipment inside the old Northern Light Observatory and observe the event through specially designed doors that replaced the old windows, and to use an airport hangar located 10 miles away. ...