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Fabio Del Sordo edited untitled.tex  about 9 years ago

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\textit{Authorea fellow and Yale scientist Fabio Del Sordo went for the adventure of a lifetime. Chasing one of the most inaccessible solar eclipses of the century, he went to Svalbard, a group of remote arctic islands midway between continental Norway and the North Pole.}  Some months ago, I was having a chat with a fellow astrophysicist. 2015 would have been a quite busy year for me, due to a combination of science projects, outreach with the GalileoMobile Constellation and travels.   At that time I had recently started a postdoc at Yale, in the research group led by John Wettlaufer, an expert on sea ice and the Arctic. Since many years I felt the urge of visiting the northernmost area of the Earth, and I started fulfilling this need during my PhD in Stockholm, with travels to Lapland and the north western Norvegian coastine. The Arctic, though, is a different story were, at that time, a vague but intriguing place, oftentimes feeding my imagination.  During this postdoc, I thought, I will have to visit Svalbard, connecting my travel to a research project. the idea behind any research I start is pretty much always the same: I study it because it fascinates me. The Arctic is full of phenomena that I cannot see they could not trigger a deep interest. The sea ice, constantly freezing and melting, harbors amazing things like frozen flowers, as well as life in extreme conditions; the upper atmosphere hosts spectacles like Northern Lights.  Nevertheless, I am almost unable to organize a journey in absence of an initial spark deciding when this is going to happen. In this case, the fire was lit during the chat I was mentioned.  "I Some months ago I was having a chat with a fellow astrophysicist. 2015  would like have been a quite busy year for me, due  to a combination of science projects, outreach with the GalileoMobile Constellation and other travels. At that time I had recently started a postdoc at Yale, in the research group led by John Wettlaufer, an expert on sea ice and the Arctic. Since many years I felt the urge of visiting the northernmost area of the Earth, and I started fulfilling this need during my PhD in Stockholm, with travels to Lapland and the north western Norvegian coastine. The Arctic, though, is a different story and, at that time, was a vague but intriguing place, oftentimes feeding my imagination. During this postdoc, I thought, I will have to visit Svalbard, connecting my  travel to Svalbard sooner or later" - I said.  "For the Eclipse, you mean?"  "WoW, a research project. the idea behind any research I start  is there pretty much always the same: I study it because it fascinates me. The Arctic is full of phenomena that I cannot see they could not trigger a deep interest. The sea ice, constantly freezing and melting, harbors amazing things like frozen flowers, as well as life in extreme conditions; the upper atmosphere hosts spectacles like Northern Lights. Nevertheless, I am almost unable to organize a journey in absence of  an eclipse at Svalbard? For real?" initial spark deciding when this is going to happen. In this case, the fire was lit during the chat I was mentioned.  I did probably read about this eclipse many years ago, checking an old book of mine I have in my bookshelf in my parent's house, but I had then hidden the information too well “I would like  to remember it. Also, some years ago, the possibility travel  to attend Svalbard sooner or later” - I said. “For  the occurrence of Eclipse, you mean?” “WoW, is there  an Eclipse in the Arctic was perhaps too remote to be worth to be remembered. Not now, though. eclipse at Svalbard? For real?”  Within a few days I had did probably read about this eclipse many years ago, checking an old book of mine I have in  my flights booked and started planning bookshelf in  my journey, during which parent’s house, but  I would have hopefully met had then hidden  the Sun and information too well to remember it. Also, some years ago,  the Moon in possibility to attend  the same spot occurrence  of an Eclipse in  the sky. Arctic was perhaps too remote to be worth to be remembered. Not now, though.  Svalbard. Within a few days after that chat I had my flights booked and started planning my journey, during which I would have hopefully met the Sun and the Moon in the same spot of the sky.  UNIS Svalbard  is an archipelago situated at about half way between continental Norway and the North Pole, and it is an outpost for research and exploration on  the world's arctic. In Longyearbyen, a little city with a population of about 2000 and Svalbard capital, there is UNIS, University Center in Svalbard: this is the world’s  northernmost institution for higher education and research, located in Longyearbyen, in Spitsbergen island. research.  There's There’s  plenty of science to be investigated during an eclipse. One of the most relevant historical examples is the measurement of the deflection of light by the Sun, performed by Sir Arthur Eddington in 1919 during a total solar eclipse. Such experiment demonstrated that the sun was indeed deflecting the light, as some Science during the Eclipse 

Aurora. KHO observatory  daytime aurora