Curious observers will have an above-the-clouds view of the total solar eclipse, as a citizen-led volunteer project prepares to launch a sun-tracking balloon telescope and invites the world to join the journey on April 8.
The Eclipse Balloon Project revealed its YouTube channel Thursday that will livestream the solar eclipse from high above in real-time, and provide people with an unobstructed look at a rare celestial event.
To avoid the disappointment of a cloudy day, retired medical physicist David Hunter and a team of volunteers in Florenceville-Bristol, New Brunswick, have built a balloon solar telescope.
Its payload, a seven-kilogram hexagonal structure, is equipped with six cameras including a camera that can track the sun and one that will take continuous video. The flying telescope can soar up to 30 kilometres in the air and is set to be launched from Florenceville-Bristol around 3:15 p.m. local time on April 8.
The footage will be aired at several viewing centres in Florenceville-Bristol, Woodstock, Hartland, Perth-Andover and Plaster Rock, New Brunswick.
The team first tested the project about a year ago. It failed to get off the ground because the balloon needed more helium, Hunter said.
After four launches and countless adjustments and lessons-learned, the team is ready to go.
Western New Brunswick will have a front row seat of the total solar eclipse—a moment that is expected to last about 3 minutes and 19 seconds.
“The last time there was a total solar eclipse in central New Brunswick was in 932, more than a thousand years ago,” said Hunter.
In the final two and a half weeks before the big day, Hunter and his team focus on the what-ifs — especially weather conditions.
“The big fly in the ointment, of course, is the weather,” said Hunter, noting the team uses a large balloon to launch the telescope.
“It would be difficult to launch it in a very windy situation or if there were some precipitation happening that could cause us some difficulty,” he said.
The public is invited to watch the balloon launch from the grounds of the Amsterdam Inn in Florenceville-Bristol.
The launch site will be open to the public beginning at 2:30 p.m. ADT with launch expected to take place at around 3:15 p.m. ADT.
People can also view the projected images at five locations in the Western Valley of New Brunswick:
-
Florenceville-Bristol: Northern Carleton Civic Centre, 40 McCain Street -
Woodstock: McCain Community Theatre, Woodstock High School, 144 Connell Park Road -
Hartland: Hartland Community School – Cafetorium, 217 Rockland Road -
Perth-Andover: The River Valley Civic Centre, 11 School Street -
Plaster Rock: Tobique-Plex, 159 Main Street
More information on The Eclipse Balloon Project can be found here.
