NASA Space Weather UnderGround (SWUG) Solar Eclipse Magnetic Interaction Study

The NASA Space Weather UnderGround (SWUG) program developed magnetometers for deployment along the paths of solar eclipses to investigate the Earth's geomagnetic interaction with space weather phenomena. This initiative involved the successful deployment of two magnetometers during the 2023 annular solar eclipse and an additional six during the 2024 total solar eclipse. These deployments studied the impact of solar eclipses on Earth's geomagnetic field.

SWUG solar eclipse research provided a crucial opportunity to evaluate the reliability of SWUG magnetometer data and optimize both device design and deployment strategies. By comparing SWUG data to US Geological Survey (USGS) geomagnetic field data, SWUG magnetometers can be rigorously assessed against established scientific standards. The study yielded dependable insights into geomagnetic disturbances triggered by solar eclipses.The solar eclipse weakens westward ionospheric currents over the USA, breaking a typical daily pattern of geomagnetic field activity, which was successfully observed by SWUG magnetometers. Furthermore, SWUG magnetometers accurately captured geomagnetic storm data from May 2024 consistent with USGS observations, highlighting their potential for conducting reliable heliophysics research.