Kite-borne Spectroscopic Observations of the Corona During the 2023 April 20 Total Solar Eclipse
We report in this Letter on the first use of a kite as an airborne platform for coronal observations during total solar eclipses, to mitigate the detrimental impact of clouds when present. In this first innovative attempt, the scientific payload was chosen to be a single-channel color spectrometer o...
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| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2025-01-01
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| Series: | The Astrophysical Journal Letters |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/adad53 |
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| author | Benedikt Justen Shadia Rifai Habbal Matthias Justen Oliver Mayer Adalbert Ding Klemens Brumann Herbert Stehr |
| author_facet | Benedikt Justen Shadia Rifai Habbal Matthias Justen Oliver Mayer Adalbert Ding Klemens Brumann Herbert Stehr |
| author_sort | Benedikt Justen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We report in this Letter on the first use of a kite as an airborne platform for coronal observations during total solar eclipses, to mitigate the detrimental impact of clouds when present. In this first innovative attempt, the scientific payload was chosen to be a single-channel color spectrometer operating in high order over the wavelength range of 400–1000 nm, with light being fed from a coelostat that tracked the Sun optically. The payload was made airborne by a Cody-box-type kite with a wingspan of 6.5 m and launched from Cape Range National Park in North West Australia during the 2023 April 20 total solar eclipse. The kite and payload reached a terminal altitude of 450 m about 30 minutes prior to second contact and remained airborne 1 hr past the 58 s of totality. Although the tracking was not perfect, it nevertheless enabled the acquisition of two coronal spectra. This first successful technology demonstration paves the way for the feasibility of future low-cost kite-borne payloads for astronomical observations not limited to total solar eclipses. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-3cd3b20e6abc45efba0dcce335835ad3 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2041-8205 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Astrophysical Journal Letters |
| spelling | doaj-art-3cd3b20e6abc45efba0dcce335835ad32025-08-20T02:46:05ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal Letters2041-82052025-01-019811L1210.3847/2041-8213/adad53Kite-borne Spectroscopic Observations of the Corona During the 2023 April 20 Total Solar EclipseBenedikt Justen0https://orcid.org/0009-0000-1244-7158Shadia Rifai Habbal1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4089-9316Matthias Justen2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1760-835XOliver Mayer3https://orcid.org/0009-0003-3653-0193Adalbert Ding4https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6573-7810Klemens Brumann5Herbert Stehr6Justen Engineering Services , Brockhausstr. 61, 04229 Leipzig, Germany ; info@justen-engineering.deInstitute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii , 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822, USAErstes Physikalisches Institut der Universität zu Köln , University of Cologne, Zülpicherstr. 77, 50937 Cologne, GermanyLeipzig, GermanyInstitute for Technical Physics , Berlin, GermanyCoesfeld, GermanyJusten Engineering Services , Brockhausstr. 61, 04229 Leipzig, Germany ; info@justen-engineering.de; Coesfeld, GermanyWe report in this Letter on the first use of a kite as an airborne platform for coronal observations during total solar eclipses, to mitigate the detrimental impact of clouds when present. In this first innovative attempt, the scientific payload was chosen to be a single-channel color spectrometer operating in high order over the wavelength range of 400–1000 nm, with light being fed from a coelostat that tracked the Sun optically. The payload was made airborne by a Cody-box-type kite with a wingspan of 6.5 m and launched from Cape Range National Park in North West Australia during the 2023 April 20 total solar eclipse. The kite and payload reached a terminal altitude of 450 m about 30 minutes prior to second contact and remained airborne 1 hr past the 58 s of totality. Although the tracking was not perfect, it nevertheless enabled the acquisition of two coronal spectra. This first successful technology demonstration paves the way for the feasibility of future low-cost kite-borne payloads for astronomical observations not limited to total solar eclipses.https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/adad53Solar coronaSpectroscopy |
| spellingShingle | Benedikt Justen Shadia Rifai Habbal Matthias Justen Oliver Mayer Adalbert Ding Klemens Brumann Herbert Stehr Kite-borne Spectroscopic Observations of the Corona During the 2023 April 20 Total Solar Eclipse The Astrophysical Journal Letters Solar corona Spectroscopy |
| title | Kite-borne Spectroscopic Observations of the Corona During the 2023 April 20 Total Solar Eclipse |
| title_full | Kite-borne Spectroscopic Observations of the Corona During the 2023 April 20 Total Solar Eclipse |
| title_fullStr | Kite-borne Spectroscopic Observations of the Corona During the 2023 April 20 Total Solar Eclipse |
| title_full_unstemmed | Kite-borne Spectroscopic Observations of the Corona During the 2023 April 20 Total Solar Eclipse |
| title_short | Kite-borne Spectroscopic Observations of the Corona During the 2023 April 20 Total Solar Eclipse |
| title_sort | kite borne spectroscopic observations of the corona during the 2023 april 20 total solar eclipse |
| topic | Solar corona Spectroscopy |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/adad53 |
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