2017 Total Solar Eclipse Near Space Balloon Project
For the total solar eclipse of 2017, MERLAB designed and built a pair
of near space balloon payloads in order to photograph the lunar shadow
on the Earth's surface. This design was light weight
compact, and inexpensive while retaining
redundancy in the systems. The 'Totaliteam' included students
from the Eastman School of Music, Agnes Scott College, Carleton College,
Brentwood Middle School, Brentwood High School, Lincoln Park Performing
Arts School, and adult volunteers. With local support from the Pettit
family, we successfully launched both balloons near Princeton, KY.
The payload without cover or transmittersBoth assembled payloads during testingScene from the launch at the Pettit farm
in Princeton, KYPhoto from the ground just after launchFirst photo on ascentBroader view of the regionAbove the first clouds, below the high layerAbove the cloudsThe 'diamond ring' from the approaching
eclipseThe lunar shadow over the Land Between the LakesThe shadow has moved eastwardThe trailing 'diamond ring' in the distanceOur highest photograph from the mission
