Citizen scientists to study total solar eclipse over Greenland, Iceland, and Spain

The Dynamic Eclipse Broadcast (DEB) Initiative, a NASA-funded citizen science network, will deploy two teams to observe the Aug. 12 total solar eclipse across Greenland, Iceland, and Spain, capturing data and livestreaming the event. The initiative aims to study the sun's corona while bringing the eclipse to the public. Coordinated by Southern Illinois University Carbondale, the DEB uses portable, identical telescope setups costing about $1,800 each. During the 2024 eclipse, over 80 teams collected data, with some volunteers authoring a paper on coronal dynamics. Their footage contributed to Emmy Award-winning livestreams, and volunteers also track asteroids, solar flares, and exoplanet transits. The 2026 eclipse will last up to 2 minutes 18 seconds, with teams in Leon and Valoria la Buena, Spain. Data will feed NASA coverage and help refine processes for the Aug. 2, 2027 eclipse, which will feature a record 6-minute 23-second totality. The DEB plans to recruit volunteers this fall for an ambitious 2027 campaign.