Last Monday, people all across the United States turned their (protected) eyes skyward for the astronomical event of a lifetime: a total solar eclipse.

As the moon’s shadow crossed the U.S., more than 1,300 volunteer photographers (like Vivian White and Steven Madow) captured images of the sun’s faint outer atmosphere: the corona. We used those images to algorithmically create a continuous view of the corona during the hour and a half that the eclipse was visible from Earth (far longer than has ever been possible before). Today we’re happy to share the latest version of the Eclipse Megamovie as well as a behind-the-scenes look at how it all came together.

So far photographers have submitted over 34,000 images (512GB of data) to the project and we’re thrilled for the next stage of the project to begin. The full dataset of images will be made publicly available in the coming weeks, allowing the scientific community and general public access to this fantastic set of images. We’re excited to see what scientific discoveries and improved Megamovie versions come next as more people get their hands on the data. Check back on the Megamovie website for updates on the dataset release as well as improved versions of the Megamovie.

This project would not have been possible without our partnership with UC Berkeley and the Astronomical Society of the Pacific and of course a special thanks to our dedicated volunteers who made the Megamovie project a reality!

On August 21—for the first time in 100 years—a total solar eclipse will cross the the United States.

Last week we shared an interview with Vivian White, who is coordinating a mighty team of volunteers capturing photos of the eclipse. In collaboration with UC Berkeley, the Eclipse Megamovie project will take these photos and algorithmically align and stitch them together to create a continuous view of the eclipse: the Eclipse Megamovie.

Today we’ll hear from a volunteer whose contributions will make Megamovie possible. By day, Steven Madow works as a product analyst for Shop Disney Parks (the app and website that let you buy as much Disney swag as your heart desires), and for the last 12 years, videography and photography have been his passion projects. Now he’s bringing his passion to Megamovie.

Keyword: How did you hear about this project, and how did you get involved?

Steven: I listen to NPR a lot, and they talked about Megamovie on two of my favorite shows—Planetary Radio and Science Friday—which got me interested. According to my fiancée, I’ve been talking about this eclipse since 2015, so I guess I’ve been excited for it for a while!

Where are you going to watch? And what will you do when you get there?

I’m heading to Madras, OR, where there’s the lowest probability of cloud cover on the path of totality. It seemed like a good excuse for a trip! I’m bringing two cameras—a Panasonic and a Nikon—to capture photos for Megamovie, as well as a couple other cameras I'm planning to use just for my own photos. I can connect these cameras to a telescope (which tracks the sun), and it’s all automated. I’ve heard that watching the eclipse is like being in 360 degrees of a sunset, so the automation will allow me to actually watch and enjoy the eclipse.

How long have you been interested in astronomy?

I like outdoorsy things and have always been interested in natural events. I’m from Baltimore but went to college in Florida, and when I first saw a rocket launch from a balcony 60 miles away, I thought, “Wow, that’s so cool. I have to learn more about this.” Since then I’ve seen dozens of rocket launches up close, as well as amazing shots of night launches, which inspired me to make the jump to more serious camera gear. I got into drones before they were called drones—they were called “quadcopters” then—and I started making videos as a side project. People saw my work and started hiring me to make more videos.

What kind of prep work do Megamovie volunteers have to do?

Volunteers attend webinars and need a certain level of photography gear. We’ve been doing practice tests—shooting the moon and sun—and testing out a special uploader that was created for this project. It was created for different camera types and allows for uploading with very low bandwidth, which is key since most of us will be using heavily overloaded cell networks.

Have you been able to connect and create a community with other citizen scientists through this project?

There are volunteer forums where you can ask questions about all aspects of planning—traveling with equipment, traffic predictions, image uploading and everything else imaginable.

Through a forum I met Xavier Jubier, the creator of Solar Eclipse Maestro, an eclipse photography automation program, and worked with him to add support for Panasonic cameras (which I’m using during the eclipse). There were a lot of tests and back-and-forth on email, but now a few of the Panasonic cameras are supported and I’ve been able to teach other volunteers how to use the software.

So people share expertise but they also get to know each other. I started a thread called "Introductions,” asking people to reply with a few simple things about themselves including why they are interested in the project. It has 114 replies (114 new people I’ve gotten to know!), and most of them—like me—are psyched to contribute to a larger scientific cause.

On August 21, a total solar eclipse will cross the the United States. That’s a big deal (a “once in a hundred years” kind of big deal).

Most observers outside of the path of total eclipse from Salem, OR to Charleston, SC will only see the partial eclipse. So, Google teamed up with UC Berkeley to give the rest of the world a view of the eclipse and to provide scientists with data to better understand how the sun’s atmosphere behaves. We’re calling on amateur astronomers and photographers to capture photos of the eclipse as the moon’s shadow passes over their part of the country, then we’ll algorithmically align and stitch together the images to create a continuous view of the eclipse: the Eclipse Megamovie.

Vivian White is not just a Megamovie volunteer—she is coordinating other volunteers, too. By day, she is an astronomy educator and Director of Free Choice Learning with the Astronomical Society of the Pacific in San Francisco, CA (we’ll explain exactly what that means below). And since 2016 (well, longer if you count how long it’s been on her calendar!) she’s been gearing up for the solar eclipse. The Keyword team caught up with Vivian to learn about her career as an amateur astronomer and how she got involved with the Megamovie project.

Keyword team: How did you get into astronomy?

And now you use that love of astronomy in your day job. Tell us more about that.

I’m the Director of Free Choice Learning (a title they let me make up!) at the Astronomical Society of the Pacific in San Francisco. I explore how we learn as adults when we’re not in school and work with amateur astronomers—anyone who with an interest in astronomy and a different day job. They are fascinated by everything they learn.

Mostly I run a network of 430 astronomy clubs, and create demonstrations and activities students can use at the telescope. I create toolkits for NASA’s Night Sky Network, a coalition of amateur astronomy clubs that brings NASA's mission to the general public, on any particular subject from black holes, to the solar system, to the sun.

In the astronomy world, how big of a deal is this solar eclipse? The Super Bowl of activities in space?

Tell us about the Megamovie project. How did you get involved?

The ASP has been working with UC Berkeley for decades now, and we were part of the initial grant in 2016. We had a hard time getting funding—there was concern that we couldn’t get enough volunteers or couldn’t create the right algorithm to stitch all the photos together. Now, here we are with 1,500 volunteers (20-30 new volunteers a day).

As the Volunteer Wrangler (another title I made up!), I create and give webinars, write tutorials in collaboration with UC Berkeley scientists, answer dozens of questions every day from volunteers, and generally (cheer)lead the dedicated, enthusiastic group. It’s definitely a lot of work, and a lot of the scientists are doing this in their spare time. I'm not alone in looking forward to Aug 22!

The Megamovie is probably the most exciting project I’ve ever worked on. I love that we’re doing real science—we don’t know if it’s going to work, but we’re figuring it out as we go along. The volunteers are so excited for this to happen—they’ve made official hats and pins to wear so that they can identify each other on the path. They aren’t professionals, so they haven’t contributed to science in a meaningful way until now.

Space has a powerful hold on people … Why do you think that is? What is it that first captured your attention?

Do you have a favorite subject in astronomy?

You’ve traveled to a lot of your places in your life, including to Dharamsala, India to teach Buddhist monks and nuns about astronomy. What’s different about these projects from your normal education work?

August 21, 2017 will be a very special day. For the first time in 100 years, a total solar eclipse will cross the United States. It’s not only an opportunity for millions of people to appreciate this rare astronomical event, but a chance for scientists to gain a better understanding of how the sun’s atmosphere behaves. Enter the Eclipse Megamovie Project.

Led by the University of California at Berkeley, scientists from multiple universities are turning to citizen scientists for help gathering images of the sun and its atmosphere, the corona. Volunteers armed with standard photography equipment—a camera, telephoto lens, and tripod—will capture photos of the eclipse as the moon’s shadow passes over their part of the country. Once this huge dataset is collected, it’s Google’s turn. We’ll use our technology to algorithmically align and process the images submitted by citizen scientists to create a continuous view of the eclipse: the Eclipse Megamovie.

In addition to the movie, the full dataset of images will be made available to the public and the scientific community. Time will only tell what insights and projects may come from this rich collection.

If you’ll be on the path of totality and plan on taking pictures, the project needs your help. Head to the Megamovie website to learn more about how to join and take the best eclipse photographs possible.

August 21, 2017 will be a very special day. For the first time in 100 years, a total solar eclipse will cross the United States. It’s not only an opportunity for millions of people to appreciate this rare astronomical event, but a chance for scientists to gain a better understanding of how the sun’s atmosphere behaves. Enter the Eclipse Megamovie Project.

Led by the University of California at Berkeley, scientists from multiple universities are turning to citizen scientists for help gathering images of the sun and its atmosphere, the corona. Volunteers armed with standard photography equipment—a camera, telephoto lens, and tripod—will capture photos of the eclipse as the moon’s shadow passes over their part of the country. Once this huge dataset is collected, it’s Google’s turn. We’ll use our technology to algorithmically align and process the images submitted by citizen scientists to create a continuous view of the eclipse: the Eclipse Megamovie.

In addition to the movie, the full dataset of images will be made available to the public and the scientific community. Time will only tell what insights and projects may come from this rich collection.

If you’ll be on the path of totality and plan on taking pictures, the project needs your help. Head to the Megamovie website to learn more about how to join and take the best eclipse photographs possible.

August 21, 2017 will be a very special day. For the first time in 100 years, a total solar eclipse will cross the United States. It’s not only an opportunity for millions of people to appreciate this rare astronomical event, but a chance for scientists to gain a better understanding of how the sun’s atmosphere behaves. Enter the Eclipse Megamovie Project.

Led by the University of California at Berkeley, scientists from multiple universities are turning to citizen scientists for help gathering images of the sun and its atmosphere, the corona. Volunteers armed with standard photography equipment—a camera, telephoto lens, and tripod—will capture photos of the eclipse as the moon’s shadow passes over their part of the country. Once this huge dataset is collected, it’s Google’s turn. We’ll use our technology to algorithmically align and process the images submitted by citizen scientists to create a continuous view of the eclipse: the Eclipse Megamovie.

In addition to the movie, the full dataset of images will be made available to the public and the scientific community. Time will only tell what insights and projects may come from this rich collection.

If you’ll be on the path of totality and plan on taking pictures, the project needs your help. Head to the Megamovie website to learn more about how to join and take the best eclipse photographs possible.