A total solar eclipse takes place when the Moon comes between the Sun and the Earth and casts its shadow on Earth. The next total solar eclipse will be on March 20, and it will pass over the entire North Pole and will only be visible in Svalvard and the Faroe Islands of the North Atlantic. According to organizers, the event is rare; it may be another 500,000 years or more before it occurs again.
When a total solar eclipse occurs, the stunning corona of the sun is exposed and for a moment it becomes very dark – as dark as the night.
A campaign by Zero2infinity that started on February 27, asks for dollar donations to help fund the recording and the capturing of images of the solar eclipse. The event will be recorded with a 360-degree spherical camera from space and a high-altitude balloon will provide a 360-degree view of the total solar eclipse.
Although, it is predicted that the weather will be relatively good on March 20, there is still a chance that clouds that may spoil the view of the eclipse. It is the organizers’ intention to steer away from this by recording it from over the clouds. GoPro cameras will be attached to a rig carried by a zero-emissions stratospheric balloon that will record a 360-degree spherical video. As a result, a stunning sigh,t normally only available from the International Space Station, will be available to those on Earth. The video of the astounding eclipse will be sent to tablets or smart phones, giving the impression to the participants on the ground that they too, are seeing the eclipse from space.
The objectives for this project are to be able to record videos of the eclipse in high definition, promote awareness of climate change, promote education, and to get people excited about space-related events such as a solar eclipse.
The organizers are asking for financial aid in order for the recording of the solar eclipse through space ballooning project to be successful. They need resources to successfully recover the cameras when they land and to operate given the conditions in the North Pole. Chances are, they might need a boat or a helicopter to retrieve the cameras and since those are very expensive they need all the help they can get.
People are highly encouraged to participate and if you want to know more regarding this campaign, visit their website.
