Avantes Eclipse Team at the observation post Solar Eclipse at Casper Mountain, Wyoming.

Spectroscopy research at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)/ NASA observation post

The Avantes Eclipse Team was at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)/ NASA observation post. The Casper Mountain site afforded scientists and researchers an excellent observation point to get the clearest possible observations of the solar phenomenon.

Avantes was honored to have the opportunity to provide three of our spectrometers for use in NCAR High Altitude Observatory eclipse experiments. The ideal conditions experienced at the Casper Mountain observation post allowed Dr. Tomczyk from NCAR, and his team to collect a wealth of data in the visible and near infrared wavelengths from the solar corona and chromosphere. By taking measurements in rapid succession every 8 milliseconds, and calculating this against the rate of the moon’s passage, the data is expected to provide something like a topographical map of the chromosphere layers.

The data collected at the Casper Mountain observation post will be analyzed and decoded for new understanding and insights into the nature of our immediate solar system for years to come. With advances in optical technology and computing power since previous eclipse events, there is no end to the potential new insights that might come as the results of the work of Dr. Tomczyk and other researchers studying the great North American eclipse of 2017!