As the 2017 solar eclipse approaches, many people have found they will not be able to make it out to see this wonderous event. Luckily, NASA has come up with a unique and ideal solution so that everyone can enjoy the incredible view.
Whether it’s because hotels are filling up too quickly or they simply cannot find the time, many people will be stuck at home while the first eclipse visible to Americans on either coast in 99 years passes them by. It’s been reported that the best spots are already gone, booked out months in advanced.
But, that doesn’t mean one has to miss out on it completely. While nothing can beat the wonder and awe of actually being there to witness the eclipse, NASA has come up with another solution for those unable to make it out to see it for themselves. Using 57 balloons flying roughly 100,000 feet in the air, they plan to livestream the event online.
While not a lot of information has been given out yet, NASA has predicted that this livestream of the solar eclipse could surpass the 2012 Curiosity’s trek on Mars in the number of people watching.
Creating these balloons with livestreaming cameras has been a long process. Des Jardins, director of the Montana Space Grant Consortium and leader of the project, said in a recent press release, “We have spent the last three years researching and building the camera payloads and ground stations in preparation for eclipse day. The live-video distribution was the last technical hurdle we needed to overcome, and the partnership with Stream allows us to focus on the payload technology while they handle the video.”
For those lucky few who are able to view one of the grandest spectacles our world offers, it’s essential not to forget those highly important spectacles. That is, viewers need specially designed solar filter glasses that protect the eyes during a solar eclipse. According to NASA, using these sun filters or no. 14 welder’s glass is the only completely safe way to view a solar eclipse.
Either way, no one has to let August 21 pass by without a perfect view of the eclipse. If you’re standing directly below it with your safety glasses or if you’re marveling at it through a computer screen in real time, it is guaranteed to be a sight to behold.