Heidi Hammel, the vice president for science at the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, recently shared her deeply emotional experiences in her career. She expressed that two events stood out to her the most: watching total solar eclipses and witnessing the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, a project she dedicated 25 years to, which finally took to the skies in December 2021.
Despite being a planetary astronomer well-versed in the science behind eclipses, Hammel found herself surprised by the emotional impact of witnessing a total solar eclipse. She described the experience as 'weird' as the sun disappeared from the sky, leaving a massive black hole in its place. She acknowledged that even with her understanding of the orbital mechanisms at play, her primal instincts were triggered by the unusual occurrence.
Having observed three eclipses, with the most recent one in 2017 from Sun Valley, Idaho, Hammel emphasized the significance of eclipses in advancing planetary science. Studying the sun's corona during an eclipse provides valuable insights into the sun's outermost atmosphere, contributing to a deeper understanding of our solar system's central star.
Furthermore, Hammel highlighted the connection between studying phenomena like solar eclipses and exploring distant galaxies with instruments like the James Webb Space Telescope. By gaining more knowledge about our own solar system, scientists can apply that understanding to investigate far-off galaxies, expanding our comprehension of the universe.
