Between the spring equinox on March 21 and continuing until April 10, the IGWS is inviting anyone with a cellphone to contribute data to an eclipse-related research project. For best results, participants are needed from across the state, and contributors are asked to send data as many times as they can through a three-question online survey.

Scan the QR code on the flyer below for more information or visit our eclipse-themed webpage, https://igws.indiana.edu/eclipse.

The Indiana Geological and Water Survey is measuring the energy from the sun at all our water balance stations, but there are many places in Indiana where we don't have stations. We need your help to populate a data set of light data across the state. The eclipse on Monday, April 8 will be a unique period when we will lose several minutes of light. This is a rare opportunity to research the associated loss of energy from the sun. We need data from days leading up to the eclipse to determine normal light levels this time of year during both sunny and cloudy days, from all hours of the day.

We need our citizen scientists to capture information from the sun starting on the spring equinox (March 21) through a few days after the eclipse (April 10). Hourly data is preferred, but any data will help. Several free “lux meter” apps are available for iPhones and Androids. Collect data on an app anytime you are outside and just make note of the time; you can go back and report all data collections while at home, or do it directly from your cellphone on our citizen survey.

The results of this data can help us see variations on solar energy across the state, help to relate solar energy to light intensity, and provide data sets for school lessons about sun, solar energy, and light.

(Figure above right: Solar radiation data from the IGWS's Indiana Water Balance Network station in Bloomington measured on April 8 over various years. April 8, 2024, will be the date of a total solar eclipse in Indiana; the "projected" measurement reflects light loss expected on that day.)

Truthfully, most of us are planning to stay away from IGWS office in the heart of the IU Bloomington campus, as IU is expected to be inundated with eclipse-seeking visitors.

But one intrepid IGWS researcher, Connor Miller (pictured, second from right), will be stationed outside at the IU Arboretum with part-timer Caroline Klare (not pictured) to gather atmospheric data as the sun is eerily obscured by the moon.

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Instead of just the few minutes of an eclipse, imagine a whole day without the sun, or a few days, or a few weeks.

None of these scenarios is likely to happen, but what if it did?

IGWS Research Scientist Ginger Davis explains the connections among the sun, gravity, weather, and the rock cycle.

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