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On Monday, large parts of the United States will experience a . This eclipse is expected to be a more significant event than the one in 2017, and the next one visible from the U.S. won鈥檛 happen until 2044. The sky will darken in Uvalde, Texas, just seconds before 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time (1:30 p.m. local time in Texas) on April 8. The will then arc up through Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Ohio and New York state before exiting the U.S. over Maine at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Seattle is on the outer edge of the eclipse鈥檚 effects, with skies expected to darken here just 20% below regular levels.听

Among the many people travelling to witness the total eclipse firsthand will be , a 乱伦社区 research assistant professor of Earth and space sciences, along with four UW graduate students. This effort is funded in part by the .

Journaux’s research combines results from experiments and space missions to understand Earth as well as other planets and moons within our solar system. For this trip he will bring a special telescope to capture the unique view of the sun and surrounding skies that becomes possible during a solar eclipse. 听

UW News asked Baptiste about the upcoming trip as part of an occasional series, 鈥�In the Field,鈥� highlighting UW field efforts.听

Where are you going, and when?听听

Baptiste Journaux: We are currently aiming for somewhere along the border between Arkansas and Oklahoma. We will be there Sunday and Monday. The final location on Monday will depend on last-minute weather assessments to make sure we have the best chances of low cloud coverage. The choice of that general area is guided by flight prices and low population density to avoid traffic.听听

Have you visited this site before?听

BP: No 鈥� it will be quite exploratory!鈥�听

What do you and your students hope to see?听

BP: First, we are hoping to be able to observe the eclipse in the totality zone without too much cloud cover for near the longest eclipse time possible (more than 4 minutes). This will be significantly longer than the 2017 eclipse. During the totality, we will be able to see the sun’s corona with the naked eye. This is the farthest-extending feature of the sun’s atmosphere and is only visible during total eclipses.听听

As the sun is currently approaching its 鈥� or the peak in the roughly 11-year cycle of solar activity 鈥� we are expecting to see quite a few more solar features than in 2017. One feature we hope to see is large plasma bridges, called , that are suspended over the surface of the sun by its strong magnetic field.听听

During totality, the sky will get dark, and we should be able to see Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn appear on both sides of the sun. There is also a comet, , that should be visible just next to Jupiter. Overall, it promises to be quite an incredible and unique spectacle.听

Who will be participating in this field effort?听

BP: We will be going with four Earth and space sciences graduate students 鈥� , , and 鈥� as well as Sarah Smith with the College of the Environment, who will help to document the effort.听

What is the telescope that you will be bringing? What do you hope to learn?听

BP: We are bringing a special telescope that allows us to observe the sun in a single wavelength of hydrogen, the main constituent of the sun, to capture images of the sun鈥檚 surface features during the progression of the eclipse. We have been taking images of the sun from the UW campus to practice the use of this type of telescope, known as an H-alpha telescope.听

What鈥檚 something you enjoy about going into the field?听

BP: The main thing is experiencing a unique cosmic event that really gives perspective on the size and force of the universe. This is, honestly, one of the most incredible things that one can experience. Sharing that with our students will be a privilege.鈥�听

Can people follow your efforts?听

BP: I will post on my X account, , and we will have full coverage through the UW Environment channels on and .听

Anything you鈥檇 like to add?听

BP: Wish us luck with the weather!鈥�听

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For more information, contact Journaux at bjournau@uw.edu.听