The Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) announced on Apr. 2 its plans to conduct ground observations of the Coronal Diagnostic Experiment (CODEX) for the International Space Station, a project developed in collaboration with NASA, during the total solar eclipse on Apr. 8.
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth. A total solar eclipse completely blocks the face of the Sun. The upcoming total solar eclipse will traverse Mexico, the United States, and Canada.
Such eclipses provide a unique opportunity to study the Sun’s corona, its outermost atmospheric layer, normally obscured by bright sunlight. In pursuit of this, KASI will dispatch two teams to Lampasas and Leakey, Texas, to observe the corona and conduct ground-based research for CODEX.
The teams plan to employ polarizing cameras, essential to CODEX’s technology, alongside a novel polarimetric instrument slated to launch in September this year. This equipment will study the lower coronal region, extending from one to four solar radii.
The first observation site, the KASI-NASA Solar Eclipse Observatory, will utilize a mix of space-optimized polarizing cameras developed by KASI and standard non-polarizing cameras. Past eclipse studies have derived temperature and velocity data of the corona from non-polarized observations; however, polarized observations are expected to yield more precise analyses for CODEX.
The second site in Leakey, Texas, will focus on measuring the temperature and velocity of electrons and ions and the polarization of dust using the new polarimetric instrument. CODEX, a coronagraph created by KASI and NASA, marks a significant advancement by enabling the simultaneous observation of the solar corona’s temperature and velocity from space in a two-dimensional format.
Kim Yeon-han, a lead researcher at KASI, emphasized the significance of CODEX, saying, “Developed in partnership with NASA, CODEX promises to significantly advance our understanding of coronal heating and solar wind acceleration, two of the most perplexing challenges in solar science.”
“Utilizing total solar eclipses to test new observational methods and instruments is crucial before deploying them in space. This holds immense scientific and technological value and prepares us for extensive space exploration, especially in light of the forthcoming establishment of the Korea AeroSpace Administration.”
