College of Engineering

Helping NASA Track the Weather

U of I teams continue NASA research to track gravity waves during eclipse events

A team of University of Idaho engineering students is helping NASA gather complex datasets scientists have been trying to capture for decades, data that can improve global weather forecast models and our understanding of the atmosphere. 

U of I is a lead university in the Nationwide Eclipse Ballooning Project (NEBP), and has been training four university teams in the Pacific Northwest all year long to successfully track and gather data on gravity waves using weather balloons.

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NASA Idaho Space Grant Consortium

The team recently traveled to Lakeview, Oregon, to gather data during a 30-hour launch session held during the October 2023 annular solar eclipse.

“Gathering data to better describe these gravity waves could vastly improve our weather forecast accuracy and ability to anticipate large weather patterns,” said Matthew Bernards, U of I College of Engineering associate professor and co-project lead.

U of I students joined about 400 high school and middle school students, teaching them about gravity waves and the importance of the solar eclipse.

Chile Eclipse

A team traveled to Chile in 2020, gathering launch data along the path of totality during the total solar eclipse.

The ongoing research requires weekly launch sessions held during the summer to ensure the team is prepared for the timing and accuracy required during national eclipse launching efforts.

The U of I team will travel to Pennsylvania in April 2024 for launches during the total solar eclipse.