When a shadow passes over Earth: What a solar eclipse in Antarctica teaches us about space

Satellite image of a shadow over the Earth caused by an eclipse — *NASA*

Lecture

Jun. 27, 2026

1:00 – 2:30 pm MDT

NoBo Library

While a total solar eclipse is an awe-inspiring sight, it can completely change the structure of Earth’s geospace, the region of space near Earth, and disrupt critical technology such as GPS navigation and satellite communications.

Join us for this Explorer Series Lecture at the NoBo Library, where NSF NCAR scientist Jonas Yu Hong will discuss the rippling effects of the 2021 Antarctic solar eclipse. He will share how supercomputer simulations can map sudden space weather disruptions resulting from eclipses, helping us protect the technology and infrastructure that we depend on.

Jonas Yu Hong

HAO, NSF NCAR

Jonas Yu Hong is an ASP Postdoctoral Fellow at the High Altitude Observatory (HAO) within the NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research (NSF NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado. He specializes in geospace simulations and uses advanced computer models to track how space weather events, such as solar storms, flares, and eclipses, ripple through Earth's upper atmosphere. His current research at NSF NCAR is to investigate how particles escape Earth's atmosphere and journey into outer space. By mapping these feedback loops, his work bridges the gap between fundamental space physics and the practical engineering needed to protect satellite communications and ground power grids from solar disruptions.