The total solar eclipse of April 8, 2024, which passed through North America from Mexico to Newfoundland, Canada, has yielded initial insights into the Sun’s interaction with Earth’s atmosphere. These observations were facilitated by NASA-backed projects and citizen scientists to examine phenomena such as solar impact on the atmosphere and radio signal disruptions. Updates were presented during the American Geophysical Union’s annual meeting on December 10 in Washington, D.C.

Observing Changes in the Corona

According to reports, the Citizen CATE 2024 project deployed 35 observation teams across North America to document the Sun’s corona during totality. Over 47,000 polarised images were collected to investigate structural shifts in the corona. Sarah Kovac, project manager at the Southwest Research Institute, unveiled a preliminary movie from these observations while emphasising the blend of scientific methods and community involvement.

NASA’s WB-57 aircraft, equipped with imaging and spectrometry tools, extended eclipse observations by flying within the Moon’s shadow. Instruments led by Shadia Habbal from the University of Hawaii successfully captured data, though some images were affected by unexpected vibrations. Future experiments are being planned using similar platforms.

Atmospheric Effects During the Eclipse

Reportedly, amateur radio operators contributed data to the HamSCI Festivals of Eclipse Ionospheric Science by exchanging signals during the eclipse. Over 52 million data points indicated altered radio communication efficiency, with improved performance at lower frequencies and decreased efficiency at higher frequencies. Professor Nathaniel Frissell from the University of Scranton credited the operators’ participation for enabling this research.

The Nationwide Eclipse Ballooning Project involved over 800 students in launching sensor-equipped balloons to measure atmospheric effects. The study confirmed atmospheric gravity waves and disturbances triggered during totality, aligning with findings from prior eclipses. Angela Des Jardins of Montana State University noted the critical role of student contributions in these findings.
These early observations continue to deepen understanding of solar impacts on Earth’s systems. Detailed analyses are expected in the coming months.

Indian researchers have analysed a significant solar event using data from the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC) onboard the Aditya-L1 mission, as per reports. As India’s first solar observation mission, Aditya-L1 observed a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) on July 16, 2024, providing valuable insights into the Sun’s dynamic outer atmosphere. This event, characterised by a massive ejection of solar plasma and magnetic fields, was studied in detail using emission at a specific wavelength of 5303 Å, known for its green hue caused by superheated iron atoms.

Launched on September 2, 2023 and successfully placed in a halo orbit around the Sun-Earth Lagrange Point L1 in January 2024, Aditya-L1 is positioned 1.5 million kilometres from Earth. According to reports, the mission aims to monitor solar activity and its impact on space weather. The findings related to the CME were published in The Astrophysical Journal Letter by researchers from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics.

Observations of Coronal Mass Ejection

Reportedly, the researchers identified a phenomenon known as coronal dimming, where the brightness of the Sun’s corona decreased by nearly 50 percent in the affected region due to the ejection of solar material. This dimming persisted for approximately six hours. The study also recorded a 30% increase in temperature and heightened turbulence in the region, marked by non-thermal plasma motion at a speed of 24.87 km/s.

Plasma Movement and Magnetic Influence

Doppler velocity measurements indicated that the plasma was redshifted, moving away from the observer at a speed of about 10 km/s, as per sources. The CME’s trajectory was influenced by the Sun’s magnetic field, which caused a deflection in the movement of the ejected material. This discovery underscores the importance of understanding magnetic forces in predicting the behavior of CMEs as they traverse interplanetary space.

These findings highlight the critical role of Aditya-L1 in unraveling the complexities of solar phenomena, paving the way for improved space weather predictions and advancing solar science.

A study conducted by the Comparative Cognition Lab at the University of California, San Diego, has shed light on dogs’ potential to communicate through soundboards. The research, published in Scientific Reports, evaluated data from 152 dogs over a span of 21 months. It found that dogs, trained to use these devices, were capable of forming purposeful two-word combinations, going beyond random behaviour or simple mimicry of human actions. Over 260,000 button presses were recorded during the study, with 195,000 attributed to the dogs themselves.

Intentional Button Use Observed

As reported, the study indicated that the most frequently used buttons were those associated with basic needs. Words such as “outside,” “treat,” “play,” and “potty” were prominent, with combinations like “outside” + “potty” being used in meaningful contexts. According to a statement by, Dr Federico Rossano, Associate Professor of Cognitive Science at UC San Diego, who led the research, dogs appeared to use these sequences to make specific requests, underscoring deliberate rather than random behaviour.

Enhanced Human-Canine Communication

The findings suggest that soundboards could provide pet owners with a clearer understanding of their dogs’ desires. Speaking to sources, Dr Rossano explained that this technology might offer dogs the means to communicate their needs more accurately. Instead of traditional cues like barking, dogs could combine buttons to convey concepts such as “outside” and “park.” This development, it was noted, has the potential to strengthen relationships between dogs and their owners.

Data Analysis and Future Research

Reportedly, data for the study was collected using the FluentPet mobile app, which allowed real-time logging of button presses. To determine whether the combinations were intentional, advanced statistical methods were employed. The patterns of multi-button presses were found to differ significantly from random chance. The study also highlighted that dogs pressed buttons like “I love you” far less often than their owners, reinforcing the claim that dogs were not simply imitating human behaviour.

Further research is planned to examine whether dogs can utilise soundboards to express complex ideas, including references to past or future events, as per reports. This could redefine perspectives on animal intelligence and communication.