Dynamic Eclipse Broadcast Initiative

The Dynamic Eclipse Broadcast (DEB) Initiative is a collaborative scientific effort to study the Sun’s inner corona – its lowest atmosphere – which is only visible during a solar eclipse. You can join a volunteer solar observation team and help solar scientists investigate the interactions between the Sun’s surface and its corona–-measuring the velocity of material in polar plumes, coronal streamers, and solar mass ejections.

Volunteer teams will receive training and equipment and conduct coordinated solar observations before and during the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. The DEB Initiative will also broadcast images from observing sites in near real-time so people away from the path can share the excitement. Volunteer teams can keep the eclipse observing equipment to make daily solar observations after the eclipse and/or participate in other NASA citizen science projects.

Go to Project Website

AGES

Teams, age 18 and older

Division

Heliophysics

where

Outside

launched

2023

What you’ll do

Use a telescope to make and share your own images of the solar eclipse.
Learn how to use astronomical observation equipment, which you can use for future solar observations or your own research purposes.
See movies of the solar corona that include your observations.

Requirements

Time: Complete three half-day practices and commit to a full day of observing on April 8.
Equipment: Telescope, tracking mount, and computer are required (and provided to selected teams). See the project’s website for details.
Knowledge: None. Training videos are available online.

Get started!

Visit the project website to learn more about what’s involved.
The DEB Initiative is no longer accepting new teams for the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse. However, if you would like to participate, you may do so by joining an existing team. High school and college students are especially welcome!
Contact DEB.INITIATIVE@GMAIL.COM with your request.

Across a true color image of the United States, Mexico, and southern Canada, we see an arcing band of purple icons nearly obscuring two parallel red lines that extend off the image. The red lines indicate the northern and southern edge of totality. The purple icons indicate locations of DEB Initiative Teams who will be making observations on April 8. A dozen orange icons are scattered over the US and Puerto Rico. These mark the locations of off-the-path teams who will also be making observations.

Map of North America showing the location of the 80+ DEB Initiative observing teams. Purple telescopes mark location of teams in the path of totality for the April 8 2024 eclipse. Orange telescopes mark the location of teams outside of that path. Teams are still needed to observe from NH and Maine.

Credit: Map was created in GeoCollaborate, a NASA Heliophysics Innovations for Technology and Science (HITS) program-funded project that is using geospatial data to highlight NASA projects for the eclipse. GeoCollaborate is a project of StormCenter Communications.

The spherical Sun appears in subtle shades of grey, nearly filling the square frame. The upper right third of the Sun is eclipsed by the Moon, which appears in purest black. There are two dark smudges on the Sun, one in the middle and a slightly larger one halfway between the left edge and the middle.

DEB Initiative image of the October 14, 2023 eclipse as seen from Hobbs, New Mexico. The two small black smears are sunspots. The image has been scaled down and cropped.

Credit: Matt Penn, DEB Initiative.