A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, completely blocking the face of the Sun. People viewing the eclipse from places where the Moon's shadow completely covers the Sun (known as the stripe of totality) will experience a
total solar eclipse
. This phenomenon will occur on April 8; It will not be seen from Argentina, but it will be seen from Mexico, Canada and the United States, where they are preparing to witness a
unique event
. One of those who are looking forward to it is Dr.
Lucas Paganini
, an Argentine scientist who has worked at NASA for 14 years and has dreamed of being an astronaut since he was a child.
Solar eclipse, dark sky
“This is the third time I have seen a total eclipse. The second was in Türkiye, and unfortunately there were clouds and I couldn't see it directly; Yes, darkness was seen, but the Sun was not seen. So, after almost eighteen years since that last event, I am going to try to see it, from Texas,” he enthusiastically tells
Clarín
.
In the case of a total solar eclipse, the disk of the Moon perfectly covers the disk of the Sun. Photo: Shutterstock illustration
“In the case of a total solar eclipse, the disk of the Moon perfectly covers the disk of the Sun, which causes the outer atmosphere of the Sun to be seen - which is called
the corona
and is generally obscured by the bright side of the Sun. ; This is a very interesting moment because you can see some types of fringes, like feathers, that are really beautiful in the zone of totality,” says Lucas and explains their importance in the study of
space meteorology
, keys in the planning and development of space missions, such as the upcoming Artemis 2025 and 2026, which seek to return to the Moon.
During these eclipses,
the sky darkens
, as if it were dawn or dusk. "The temperature drops approximately ten degrees, so it is not only very exciting to see what happens on a visual level, but also on a sensory level: you feel a change in temperature, you feel that the animals are not making noise because they believe it is night and also the people's excitement when it happens; “It’s really very interesting.”
Can eclipses help search for life on other planets?
“In an eclipse, what basically happens is what is called a
transit
: the Moon passes in front of our field of vision with the Sun, what this generates is a partial eclipse, an annular eclipse or a total eclipse. A partial eclipse - for those who are not in the strip of totality - is one that partially blocks the solar disk, it looks like a half moon or like a
half-bitten cookie
. And this generates a reduction in brightness,” explains Lucas.
A partial eclipse is one that partially blocks the solar disk. Photo: Shutterstock illustration
“We use this same technique in the study of planets in other star systems, what we call exoplanets. When a planet passes in front of the star it is orbiting, what happens is a
decrease in brightness
. “So, this allows us – through specialized instruments – to detect if there is a planet – an exoplanet – in another star system.”
Paganini points out: “Of course, these systems also allow us
to understand the atmosphere
of these exoplanets, and the chemical composition of the atmosphere allows us to know if there may be life or if habitable conditions exist on a planet beyond our system. It's very exciting".
And he adds: “It is very important to clarify that we have not yet discovered
life beyond Earth
, but it is one of NASA's main objectives.”
A unique event
Scientists have
long known how to
predict eclipses
, but in recent years different studies have made the predictions even more accurate. Solar eclipses occur somewhere in the world about every year and a half, but most of them do not happen in our own geography. For example, there won't be another solar eclipse crossing the United States until 2045.
“It is said that some cultures - for example, the Mayans - could predict solar eclipses. Today, through the missions and studies we have of the Sun, we already have a very high level of precision. There is a mission - called the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter - that has been orbiting the Moon to obtain images of the surface.
The Moon is not a perfect surface
, it also has mountains, and obtaining images of that type of lunar geology has allowed us to understand more precisely how the shadow will be projected on Earth.”
Scientists have long known how to predict eclipses. Photo: Shutterstock illustration
“The last one that occurred in Argentina a few years ago was also very exciting, and it happened through the San Juan area,
near my beloved Mendoza
.”
An Argentine at NASA
“The passion for the universe began when I was a child; I remember watching the
space shuttles
leave with astronauts in the nineties. That had a very big impact for me,” Paganini tells
Clarín
.
Lucas grew up in a small neighborhood in Mendoza with the dream of one day becoming a space walker or airline pilot. “My dream would have been to be a pilot, and it still is to be an astronaut. I know it is a bit complicated, but
hope is the last thing that is lost
.”
Video
Who is Lucas Paganini, Argentine scientist at NASA headquarters.
His interest in the physics and chemistry of celestial bodies led him to study electronic and telecommunications engineering to get closer to space. At the age of 23 he traveled to Europe, where he obtained a postgraduate scholarship at the Max Planck Institute in Göttingen, Germany, and completed a doctorate in natural sciences (physics and astronomy).
“What brought me closest to space exploration was studying
engineering
. I always tell girls and boys to be interested in science, technology and mathematics careers, which are really very beautiful. “They have brought me a lot of joy and have allowed me to get to know other cultures.”
Some time later he moved to the United States and in 2010 he entered the
NASA postdoctoral program
that gives the opportunity to work on agency missions.
Most recently, he worked as a program scientist for the
Juno
mission (2021-2022) in Planetary Sciences, where he led the development of the mission's objectives and requirements for its extended phase, to study Jupiter and its moons Ganymede, Europa and Io.
Paganini is currently deputy program executive for the
Roman Space Telescope
at NASA Headquarters starting in October 2022. Roman is NASA's next-generation telescope that will explore the universe with infrared light to reveal the secrets of energy and matter. dark, and look for planets around other stars (also known as exoplanets).
“This will be the
next flagship mission
of the Astrophysics Division after the James Web Space Telescope, which will be launched before May 2027 and will allow us to better understand exoplanet studies. "We are going to have specialized instruments to study them to, in the future, try to see if planets in other star systems can have habitable conditions and therefore, that life can exist, and other astrophysics topics that are very interesting," he points out. .
He also works on the exoplanet exploration program: “That is why I am so interested in the topic of exoplanets and, of course, the search for life beyond Earth.”