Answertime - Blog Posts

solivanas: I’ve been designing a space habitat for school that rotates to provide gravity for astronauts within it. Any tips?

@paleskeletonuniversitypizza: How does it feel to experience weightlessness for the first time? 

@tinyscoop: What's the strangest experiment you've ever had to carry out up there?

@saraxmix: What is it that makes you go back up there once you're home?

@danizzzxix: Does being in space take a toll on your body?

@aura3700: What's the most beautiful thing you've ever seen while in space?

We asked real life astronauts YOUR questions! Was your submission sent to space?

Astronauts Drew Feustel & Ricky Arnold recently recorded answers to your questions in a Video Answer Time session. We collected your questions and sent them to space to be answered by the astronauts on Friday, May 18. We recorded their answers and will post them tomorrow, May 30, here on our Tumblr. 

Was your question selected to be sent to the International Space Station? Check our Tumblr tomorrow, starting at noon EDT to find out!

About the astronauts:

Andrew J. Feustel was selected by NASA in 2000.  He has been assigned to Expedition 55/56, which launched in March 2018. The Lake Orion, Michigan native has a Ph.D. in the Geological Sciences, specializing in Seismology, and is a veteran of two spaceflights. Follow Feustel on Twitter and Instagram.

Richard R. Arnold II was selected as an astronaut by NASA in May 2004. The Maryland native worked in the marine sciences and as a teacher in his home state, as well as in countries such as Morocco, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia. Follow Arnold on Twitter and Instagram.

Don’t forget check our Tumblr tomorrow at noon EDT to see if your question was answered by real-life astronauts in space. 

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com.  

Ever want to ask a real life astronaut a question? Here’s your chance!

Astronauts Drew Feustel & Ricky Arnold will be taking your questions in a Video Answer Time session. We’ll collect your questions and send them to space to be answered by the astronauts on Friday, May 18. We’ll record their answers and post them on Wednesday, May 23 here on NASA’s Tumblr. Make sure to ask your question now by visiting http://nasa.tumblr.com/ask!

Andrew J. Feustel was selected by NASA in 2000.  He has been assigned to Expedition 55/56, which launched in March 2018. The Lake Orion, Michigan native has a Ph.D. in the Geological Sciences, specializing in Seismology, and is a veteran of two spaceflights. Follow Feustel on Twitter and Instagram.

Richard R. Arnold II was selected as an astronaut by NASA in May 2004. The Maryland native worked in the marine sciences and as a teacher in his home state, as well as in countries such as Morocco, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia. Follow Arnold on Twitter and Instagram.

And don’t forget to submit your questions by 5 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, May 15 at http://nasa.tumblr.com/ask!

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com.  

Thanks everyone for your fantastic questions! Sorry I couldn’t answer all of them. I hope you have fun on Monday, Aug. 21st and share your photos and experiences with us! https://www.flickr.com/groups/nasa-eclipse2017/ 

Safe viewing and talk to you later!  https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/safety 

I was looking at the GLOBE Observer experiments for citizens and was wondering how the eclipse affects the cloud type? Or, I guess, why is that an important thing to measure? Thank you for answering our questions!

As my dad likes to say, I went to college to take up space, so I’m not sure what happens in the atmosphere. However, I think that the atmospheric scientists are interested in the types of waves that will be set up by the temperature gradients generated by the eclipse. So as totality occurs you get a very fast temperature drop in a localized area. I believe this can set up strong winds which may affect the type of clouds and/or their shapes. This is going to be the best-observed eclipse! And one thing I’ve learned as a scientist is that you never know what you’ll find in your data so collect as much of it as possible even if you aren’t sure what you’ll find. That is sometimes when you get the most exciting results! Thanks for downloading the app and helping to collect the data! 

How often do solar eclipses occur on other planets like Mars or Venus?

Venus doesn’t have a moon so it never has an eclipse. Mars does have a partial eclipse or a transit of one of its moon and you can see photos at https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=3888

Are we able to take a picture of it

Yup and I hope you share your photos with us on the NASA Eclipse Flicker page! https://www.flickr.com/groups/nasa-eclipse2017/ You can find out about how to safely take photos of the eclipse at https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2017/five-tips-from-nasa-for-photographing-the-total-solar-eclipse-on-aug-21 Good luck! 

Does the eclipse affect airplanes at all? Would pilots have to wear special glasses, and would people inside the airplane be told not to look out of the windows?

I don’t believe it should directly impact airplanes. We are looking at how the eclipse will affect radio communications which airplanes use, but that’s something we’ll learn with the data we collect during this eclipse. Pilots will need to be careful as always to not look directly at the Sun. If you are a lucky passenger on one of the flights that will cross the eclipse, make sure to bring your eclipse viewing glasses as you will need them to look at the Sun safely https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/safety That would be an amazing opportunity to view the eclipse from a plane as you wouldn’t have to worry about cloud cover. You may also get a longer viewing experience if you are following the path of totality! In fact, some NASA scientist are going to be flying experiments on a couple of NASA planes! https://youtu.be/R0GNqlGNZkI?list=PL_8hVmWnP_O2oVpjXjd_5De4EalioxAUi

Will we need to wear the special glasses all day or just during that 2 hour window where viewing is happening?

Deffinelty do not wear them while driving or walking around as you can’t see anything out of them (they are very very dark). But while you are driving and walking you shouldn’t be looking at the Sun anyway. You only need to wear them while you are looking at the Sun. You can use them any day to view the Sun. In a few years, when the Sun once again becomes more active, you can use these glasses and pinhole projectors to see sunspots! Make sure to check that they are ISO 12312-2 compliant, from a trusted vendor, and not scratched or damaged before using them to look at the Sun. https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/safety 

If the forecast in the town you are visiting says "partly cloudy" should you be worried you won't see anything? Looking at Hillsborough, Missouri (St. Louis area)

I believe you are in the path of totality in the St. Louise area. Even if there is complete cloud cover, you’ll likely still notice it getting darker, and you’ll definitely still feel the temperature drop. I’m not sure if you’ll notice odd animal behavior as that’s not my area of expertise, but I would think you might. I would say you should still go and see it! Especially if you are in an area with a chance of partly cloudy. You never know, the clouds may disappear for at least a portion of totality! 

What exactly is a sun eclipse? Will I be able to see it and if so when from the Netherlands?

The solar eclipse is when the moon is directly in front of the Sun and creates a shadow on the Earth. They happen about once every 18 months. I don’t believe that you’ll be able to see this eclipse from the Netherlands. I think the next one to be in Europe is in 2026. There’s one in Chillie and Argentia in 2019 and another in Antartica in 2021. 

Will normal uv protection sunglasses work?

Unfortunately no. They do not block out enough of the sunlight so you could still burn your eyes if you were to use them to look at the Sun. The ISO 12312-2 compliant eclipse glasses are so dark you literally can’t see anything out of them unless you are looking at the Sun. You can find trusted vendors through the links at https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/safety If you can’t get them in time, you can also make a pinhole projector  https://eclipse.aas.org/eye-safety/projection and watch the eclipse with that. 

Will there be a livestream to the solar eclipse on the NASA website?

Yup! We’ll have a live stream up https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/eclipse-live-stream They I believe will also be covering events that are happening across the US. A bunch of my office mates here are going across the US to help with the coverage and to collect data! It should be incredibly exciting! 

Have you seen any eclipse in your life?

I saw a partial eclipse once, I think back in middle school (not sure I want to check the date as that would remind me how old I am...). I’m really looking forward to Monday, and then 2024  and 2045 which will be the next couple of times we have totality in the continental US. 

How visible will the stars be compared to a normal night sky if I'm in the path of totality? (Sun completely covered)

I’m not entirely sure, but you will be able to see some stars that you normally wouldn’t see. https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/Eclipse_brochure-bookmark_508.pdf In fact, during the 1919 eclipse, Sir Arthur Eddington and others used our ability to see stars close to the Sun during the eclipse to help confirm Einstines’ theory of general relativity. https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/testing-general-relativity

i cannot wait for my first solar eclipse! what's your favorite part about these eclipses, alexa?

I’ve never seen totality as the last time it was in the US was before I was born. My favourite part of seeing videos and photos is definitely viewing the solar corona! But I’m looking forward to this one so that I can see sunspots during the partial eclipse! It’s these spots that are often the active regions on the Sun that produce solar storms that can ultimately drive the aurora here on Earth! 

Photos of the eclipse are okay and just as neat to look at? Will NASA post to twitter. Will the Space station take photos also?

Yes, we will be posting a ton of photos and you can add to them as well! https://www.flickr.com/groups/nasa-eclipse2017/ I agree, the photos are incredibly cool! 

What is so special about the solar eclipse to you??

Huh, that’s a very good question and I probably answer it differently each time I get asked it. I love the fact that in totality you can see the solar atmosphere and get a chance to see the magnetic field structure of the Sun. This is something that you can’t normally do. I also love the idea that we’re going to be able to test a bunch of ionospheric models with the help of citizen scientist! This again is a very unique opportunity! But probably the thing that seems so special about this particular eclipse is seeing how excited everyone is about it! Most days I sit in my office working on my science (which I think is the best science and most interesting thing in the world- but I’m probably biased about that) and not too many other people in the world are all that excited about it. But with the eclipse, I get to share how cool this science is, and it’s amazing to see everyone get involved! 

How do you know if your solar eclipse glasses are legit?

Make sure to see that it has the ISO 12312-2 compliant and check that it’s from a trusted vendor. You can find a link here https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/safety with more information and links to lists of trusted vendors. 

Does an ecplispe cause any unusual effects on the Earth?

Yes, and this is one of the things we’re hoping to study more with this eclipse! If you are in totality, you’ll notice a significant temperature drop. We are also expecting to see changes in the Earth’s atmosphere and ionosphere. You can help us document these changes using the GLOBE Observer app https://www.globe.gov/globe-data/data-entry/globe-observer ! There are lots of great citizen science going on during this eclipse, and we’d love to have everyone here helping out! https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/citizen-explorers

Is there any other way to actually look at the eclipse (besides television/streams) without using the special eclipse glasses?

Unfortunately, you can not directly look at the eclipse without the proper eye protection https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/safety. But there are lots of fun indirect methods that you can use. The GIF shows how you can make a pin hole projector with your hands. We also have patterns for 3D printers to make your own pin hole projector in the shape of the US or your state https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/2d3d-printable-pinhole-projectors

Is it safe to look at the eclipse if it isn't fully covered by the sun? Say 75%

Not without proper eye wear. There will still be too much light that could burn your eyes. But you can have a ton of fun viewing the Sun using a https://eclipse.aas.org/eye-safety/projection. In fact, there is a sunspot that is now on the Sun that you should be able to see using this indirect method! 

Once in how much time does a solar eclipse happen?

It depends on where you are. You can check out our interactive map here https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/interactive_map/index.html

Do pets like cats and dogs need to have their eyes protected in anyway? Should they be kept away from windows?

They should be fine. Animals typically don’t look at the Sun so they probably won't during the eclipse either.

If I am in the path of totality (Hopkinsville, KY) when can I take off my glasses to view the eclipse? Can I keep them off for the entire 2 minutes and 40 seconds?

If you are viewing the partial eclipse or lead up to totality, once you no longer can see any light through your eclipse glasses, then you can take them off. As long as the moon is fully covering the Sun you are safe. I would err on the side of caution and look away from the Sun a few moments before it’s over. This is also a great time to see what is happening around you! The animals should be responding differently than normal and this would be a great time to see that.