Solar eclipse offers millions a chance at citizen science

Miami : Millions of people, from students to rocket scientists, are poised to contribute to a massive scientific effort to study the total solar eclipse that will sweep across the United States August 21.

The entire country will fall into shadow as the "Great American Eclipse" passes, though the darkest path, or "totality," will be contained in a 70-mile (113-kilometer) ribbon that moves from Oregon to South Carolina.

And with technology everywhere, from smartphones to satellites, the eclipse will be captured as never before, and will offer scientists a wealth of new insights on how the Sun works.

"There has never been an event like this in human history where so many people could participate with such unique technology," Carrie Black, an associate program director at the National Science Foundation, told reporters Friday.