Forbes spotlights upcoming eclipse project by Apple Valley’s Lewis Center
Forbes recently featured the Lewis Center's Goldstone Apple Valley Radio Telescope (GAVRT) program, which is scheduled to monitor the upcoming solar eclipse.
Forbes highlighted the center’s GAVRT program and its pivotal role in observing active regions of the sun during the total solar eclipse on Monday.
The GAVRT program operates a massive 34-meter telescope at NASA's Deep Space Communications Complex near the Fort Irwin National Training Center, north of Barstow.
As GAVRT's Solar Patrol campaign has been highlighted on NASA's website and now on Forbes, the center encourages science enthusiasts of all ages to join us in this rare celestial event.
Eclipse live-streamed
The public is invited to join the live-streamed webinar from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. PDT on April 8 and participate by asking questions as the partial eclipse becomes visible in California.
The event promises to be an interactive experience, providing insights into telescope controls, data visualization, incoming radio data, and imagery of the eclipsed sun at radio wavelengths, Lewis Center officials stated.
During the broadcast, GAVRT students and teachers will serve as field correspondents to provide insight from the path of totality in Texas.
“We invite everyone to join us during the solar eclipse,” said Lisa Lamb, president/CEO of the Lewis Center. “You will be able to engage directly with NASA scientists like Dr. Steve Levin, Dr. Velusamy Thangasamy, and Dr. Marin Anderson, and GAVRT Partners like Bob Twiggs, Co-Inventor of CubeSats, as we gather data in real-time.”
Eclipse project
NASA has funded three "eclipse radio" science projects, including GAVRT’s, aimed at investigating how the Earth's atmosphere reacts to the total solar eclipse across North America.
The Lewis Center's GAVRT program, in collaboration with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, will utilize the 112-foot Goldstone Apple Valley Radio Telescope to study radio emissions from the sun's inner corona during the partial solar eclipse.
Despite not being in the path of totality, the telescope will capture a 50% partial solar eclipse, enabling researchers to observe subtle changes in the sun's radio emissions as sunspots are gradually covered by the moon, the center reported.
GAVRT, which secured a NASA grant for observations during the 2023 and 2024 solar eclipses, is committed to open science, making all data and radio maps available to the public.
GAVRT’s Solar Patrol team hopes the public webinar will inspire individuals to become active members of the GAVRT program, fostering a connection with the sun and the unique physics happening during this exciting event.
The Lewis Center for Educational Research operates two STEM-focused TK-12 charter schools: Academy for Academic Excellence in Apple Valley, and Norton Science and Language Academy in San Bernardino.
Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Forbes spotlights eclipse project by Apple Valley’s Lewis Center
