Adding Eclipse Studies to Undergraduate Solar Astronomy Courses

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William College is purchasing sensing, digitizing, data recording, and data analyzing equipment which allows them to transform their freshman seminar and senior seminar solar-astronomy courses in order to reflect current instrumental capabilities. In particular, they are using the total solar eclipse of 11 July 1991, the longest possible solar eclipse and one with extremely favorable weather forecasts, to study oscillations in the solar chromosphere as a test of a mechanism to explain the heating of the solar corona, and to bring the experimental setup and results into the classroom. The experimental results mesh nicely with the theoretical studies already being described in the courses. This augments freshman seminar in solar astronomy, which currently uses only direct telescopic views of the sun in white light and in hydrogen alpha, and the junior/senior seminar in solar astronomy, which otherwise has no laboratory component. Resulting material is also being included in the astronomy general introductory courses. The observations can be repeated at subsequent eclipses, and the course involvement repeated on a continuing basis. The college will match the award with an equal amount of funds.//