Estimation of the Eclipse Solar Radius by Flash Spectrum Video Analysis

Abstract

The value of the eclipse solar radius during the 2017 August 21 total solar eclipse was estimated to be $S_{\odot} = (959.95\pm 0.05)"$ at $1\,au$ with no significant dependence on wavelength. The measurement was obtained from the analysis of a video of the eclipse flash spectrum recorded at the southern limit of the umbral shadow path. Our analysis was conducted by extracting light curves from the flash spectrum and comparing them to simulated light curves. Simulations were performed by integrating the limb darkening function (LDF) over the exposed area of photosphere. These numerical integrations relied upon very precise computations of the relative movement of the lunar and solar limbs.