NAMPA — Students from the University of Idaho will be launching weather balloons before, during and after the eclipse to track weather data that can help NASA. The team will travel to Pennsylvania to launch the balloons.
- U of I helped train other universities to do the same experiments.
- They'll launch balloons during a 30 hour window around the eclipse.
- Data will help improve long term weather forecasting.
- The specific target of study is gravity waves which impact weather patterns.
- The U of I is the lead university in what's known as the Nationwide Eclipse Ballooning Project.
(verbatim of story that aired is below)
A complete eclipse of the sun presents an amazing opportunity for scientists studying gravity waves.
“If we can better produce parameters for them we can improve the accuracy of weather forecast models.” said Matthew Bernards, associate professor at U of I.
So, a group of students from the University of Idaho along with their associate professor Matthew Bernards Will be launching balloons from Pennsylvania before during and after the eclipse.
“We are one of 39 teams aligned along the path of totality. We are doing a 30 hour high altitude weather balloon campaign.” said Bernards.
Graduate Chemical Engineering student Konstantine Geranios is part of the u of I team that actually trained four other teams from northwest universities.
“We’re going to be launching balloons right next to one of the Great Lakes which will be a good experience to see and so very happy to have the opportunity and learn what’s going on up in the atmosphere.” said Geranios.
The experience will last through the summer for another one of Bernard’s team.
“One of my undergrad students will be working with nasa Goddard over the summer to start analyzing all of the data from all of the different teams across the country.” said Bernards.
Talk about a once in a lifetime opportunity, which fits right in with a celestial event that won’t be back to the u-s mainland for 20 years.
