Eclipse Chaser: Science in the Moon’s Shadow by Ilima Loomis (review)

Shadia Habbal, a Syrian astronomer with an interest in solar wind, knew that studying the sun’s corona would be key to her research. Imaging the corona with various types of cameras and spectrometers is no easy task, though, especially when the corona disappears into the sun’s brilliance. Eclipses therefore offer the best opportunities for imaging, but there’s the matter of clouds, rain, and dust, any of which guarantee failure. Fortunately for Habbal, total solar eclipses are not particularly rare—just difficult to observe from a convenient vantage point—and so the 2017 eclipse seen across the United States presented the perfect chance to deploy teams at several locations to gather data. Loomis is embedded with Habbal’s team at a cattle ranch near Mitchell, Oregon, and follows the preparations for the minutes-long event and the nerve-wracking dependence on both atmospheric conditions and touchy equipment operation. The recency of the Great American Eclipse means many prospective readers, having participated in the related hoopla, can connect their personal experiences, but Loomis also succeeds in conveying why the study of solar winds and flares warrants attention: “CMEs [coronal mass ejections] can affect life on Earth. That’s especially true now that humans are so dependent on technology. . . . These phenomena can disable satellites, damage computers, and even disrupt air travel.” Readers familiar with the Scientists in the Field series may note—and perhaps mightily appreciate—the slightly larger font and broader leading of this volume, which, together with the strong human interest story of the team’s effort, is accessible to a slightly younger readership than some of the series titles. There’s no scrimping on science content, though, and a glossary and source notes are included to support readers’ interests and curricular needs.