How the solar eclipse is bringing cutting-edge science to small towns

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April 4, 2024 at 8:09 a.m. EDT
Katy Kiser, a high school junior in Kemp, Tex., practices calibrating a telescope for a citizen science project to capture images of the solar corona during the eclipse. (Shelby Tauber)
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There’s one stoplight in Kemp, Tex. About 1,200 people live in this city, roughly 45 miles southeast of Dallas. Asked what they do for fun, high school students shrug and mention the Dairy Queen.

But for four minutes and 17 seconds on Monday, Kemp will become a scientific hot spot as the city is engulfed in the moon’s shadow during the total solar eclipse. To prepare, five high school students have given up their weekends and free periods for months to rehearse their roles in a grand, transcontinental, citizen-science project funded by NASA and the National Science Foundation.

2024 total solar eclipse

A total solar eclipse passed across the United States on Monday, April 8. See photos and videos from the path of totality and read our reporters’ coverage from scenes across the nation.

Looking ahead: Missed this one? The next eclipse visible in the United States won’t be until 2044 — and then we’ll see another shortly after in 2045. If you did watch this eclipse but without proper eyewear, here’s what to do if your eyes hurt.

The science: This eclipse appeared especially dramatic because the sun was at its most active period in two decades. In the past, solar eclipses have helped scientists learn more about the universe. Here’s everything else to know about the solar eclipse.