Editor’s note: This story is part of The Dallas Morning News’ coverage of the 2024 total solar eclipse. For more, visit dallasnews.com/eclipse.
In the heart of Rosser, Texas, amid vast farmland, a cohort of eager Kemp High School students converged with their science department chair and technology instructor. They were positioned strategically in the center of the moon’s shadow during the eclipse’s path of totality.
As the moon gradually obscured the sun, a flock of vultures scattered from a nearby feast, soaring homeward. Amid the stillness, a crescendo of excitement erupted from the students as the moon fully covered the sun.
“Mr. Rimler, Mr. House, look!”
Months of preparation, spanning back to February, had culminated in this moment. Devoting hours of their spare time, five students — along with science department chair Kyle Rimler and technology teacher Billy House — participated in the Citizen Continental-America Telescopic Eclipse 2024 experiment (CATE 2024), a nationwide research endeavor spearheaded by the Southwest Research Institute. Funded by the National Science Foundation and NASA, the project enlisted volunteer crews to manage 35 telescopes along the path of totality across the United States, with four stationed in North Texas.
“Once I heard the kids’ voices, I started tearing up,” Rimler said. “Everything just kind of came together.”
On Monday afternoon, a sense of wonder swept through the Dallas area, as residents and scientists looked skyward (with the appropriate protective eyewear, of course). Beyond marveling at the cosmic display, area residents sought to learn more about the interplay between Earth, the sun and the moon.
Anticipation ran high in the morning, as concerns about visibility were heightened by looming clouds. But just before the moon began its journey across the sun, a stroke of luck swept away the clouds, clearing the sky.
“It was more beautiful and amazing than I expected it to be,” said Katy Kiser, a junior at Kemp High School. “Now I understand why people travel all over the world to see it.”
![Students and staff from Kemp High School and other spectators observe the total solar...](https://dmn-dallas-news-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/4T53NHMJ5REXJB2SZ6OCLP3DSU.jpg?auth=d9f591a16913c4b2e545b42f5a6ef5c9481449428a23c0433942bfd5ec9e9a1f&width=830&quality=80)
Meanwhile, physics professor Fabiano Rodrigues and his team from the University of Texas at Dallas seized the moment to probe the Earth’s ionosphere, an electrified region of the atmosphere that plays a crucial role in radio communication and the way radio waves travel. With data collection during nearly four minutes of darkness, Rodrigues and his team aimed to gather information on how the ionosphere’s particles change when the moon obscures the sun. Their research holds the promise of enhancing the precision of future radio and GPS systems, vital technologies that rely on signals traversing the ionosphere.
“We did see what we expected to see,” Rodrigues said. “The next step will be to look at [the] spaced receivers.”
Rodrigues also noted the appearance of a solar prominence on the bottom of the eclipse’s ring, which may have appeared as a red dot. A solar prominence is a large, glowing loop of hot gas that extends from the sun’s surface into its outer atmosphere.
![Isaac Wright and Fabiano Rodrigues of the University of Texas at Dallas stand with a plot of...](https://dmn-dallas-news-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/6XW4DUWSURHZBHBZRNNGLZB44Y.jpg?auth=a5add6151433a00b95632ffc12d212717852ef339b9df3c8330b690d6b8222fd&width=830&quality=80)
Scientists at Southern Methodist University also took advantage of the event, using various sensors to track atmospheric changes during totality. The researchers will analyze the speed and extent of temperature fluctuations at different altitudes during the eclipse, studying its effects on sound waves in hopes of enhancing the detection of seismic activities like earthquakes, explosions and nuclear tests.
While the results still need to be analyzed, researchers are optimistic.
“The change in temperature will give us some really cool data,” said Jacob Clarke, a research engineer at SMU, noting the temperature may have dropped up to five degrees. “The wind pattern from the temperature changes is what we’re really interested in.”
He added, “From an observer’s perspective, it was great. From a research standpoint, I’m hopeful, because we had good visibility.”
![Sensors on the lawn of the Fondren Science Building at Southern Methodist University on...](https://dmn-dallas-news-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/NYWQ4XBXE5HQDBZOWVHMGO5HCY.jpg?auth=13c79ab7b70d00cd33f8462d6a9ca56d8b92af5161a9903e2dc2b933759c4fce&width=830&quality=80)
For Yue Deng, a physics professor at the University of Texas at Arlington, the eclipse provided an opportunity to collect ground observations of the sun’s corona, the outer atmosphere that becomes visible during a total solar eclipse.
When she and her team began setting up their instruments at the university’s Maverick Stadium at 8 a.m., it was cloudy and drizzling, she said.
“My emotions were a roller coaster. I almost cried,” she said. “Then, we crossed our fingers, and when the total eclipse got started it was clear.”
Science reporting at The Dallas Morning News is supported by the University of Texas at Dallas. The News makes all editorial decisions.