Total solar eclipse could help NASA mission discover 5,000th sun-grazing comet
Anyone can be a "comet hunter" and search for objects in SOHO data. It's possible the 5,000 sun-grazing comet discovery could happen during the April 8 total solar eclipse.
Best ways to view this year's total solar eclipse
FILE VIDEO: We are eagerly anticipating America's total solar eclipse on April 8. During this phenomenon, the moon will come between the Earth and the Sun, resulting in the Sun being covered in our sky. However, it's important to note that the total eclipse will only be visible along a narrow path on Earth.
A rare total solar eclipse offers a unique opportunity to study the Sun, and scientists working on a NASA Sun-observing mission think the April eclipse could help them find the 5,000th sun-grazing comet.
NASA and the European Space Agency's joint mission, the Solar And Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), has been observing the Sun for nearly 30 years. While its primary target is the Sun, the spacecraft has found thousands of sun-skirting icy objects that brighten as they approach the Sun.
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The SOHO team revealed this week that the mission discovered its 4,990 sun-grazing comet. With only 10 more comets to add to its impressive tally and a total solar eclipse happening over North America in April, the SOHO mission could top 5,000 discoveries as the spacecraft observes the Sun during totality.
On April 8, a total solar eclipse will be visible from Texas to Maine. A total solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth, completely blocking the Sun's face for several minutes.
Some of these SOHO comet discoveries happened with the help of amateur astronomers as part of the Sungrazer Project. Anyone can be a "comet hunter" and search for these objects in SOHO data. Thirteen comets have already been found in 2024, only two months into the year.
According to NASA, throughout history, some comets have been discovered by people photographing a total solar eclipse.
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Around the time of the 2020 and 2008 solar eclipses, SOHO images revealed comets. The image below from 2008 shows comet 2/2008 01 in SOHO imagery.
About 20 hours before the eclipse of Aug. 1, 2008, comet C/2008 O1 was spotted in SOHO images. (Image: Druckmuller/Aniol/Rusin
(Druckmuller/Aniol/Rusin)
One of the oldest examples was from a group of scientists who photographed the May 17, 1882, solar eclipse in Egypt. According to NASA, after developing the photo, the scientists saw a bright streak and realized it was a comet.
A reproduction of the image depicting the total solar eclipse that occurred in Egypt on May 17, 1882. A passing comet can be seen.
(NASA)
The comet was named "Tewfik" for the then-leader of Egypt.
It's possible that SOHO's 5,000th comet discovery could happen on April 8 by a citizen scientist or by one of the millions of eclipse viewers.