"Black Sun" is a full-length documentary film focusing on the life and research of two African American solar astrophysicists: Dr. Hakeem Oluseyi of the Florida Institute of Technology and Dr. Alphonse Sterling of the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. Black Sun depicts underrepresented minority scientists in ways that challenge common preconceptions, and will inspire young people (particularly minorities) to consider STEM fields as a viable and exciting career option. In particular, the film shows the lives of the scientists, the scientists taking scientific observations and doing analysis, and discussing their results. Black Sun is centered on the two solar eclipses this year (2012): The May 20 annular eclipse and the November 13-14 total eclipse. This NSF RAPID grant funds the filming of the total solar eclipse in Cairns, Australia, where Drs. Sterling and Oluseyi and their team of students will conduct measurements focused on studying the extended solar atmospheric plasma.
The primary broader impacts goal is to increase minority participation in STEM fields. Black Sun will be "advancing discovery and understanding while promoting teaching, training and learning," by showing both the science and the personal aspects of minority astrophysicists. Dissemination will be done via screenings in academic settings (particularly minority-serving institutes), entry into film festivals, and promotion to science TV programs. We have already partnered with several HBCUs to screen "Black Sun".
Black Sun: The Documentary is currently in post-production! Black Sun is an astronomy documentary film focused on the 2012 solar eclipses. In November 2012 we followed NASA Marshall's Alphonse Sterling and FIT's Hakeem Oluseyi to Cairns, Australia, to record their scientific activities associated with the total solar eclipse. Drs. Oluseyi and Sterling are astrophysicists researching the atmosphere of our sun, both are African American. Dr. Oluseyi did polarimetry of the solar corona, while Dr. Sterling took visual images to study the structure of the solar corona closest to the sun. As the sun rose on November 14th, their greatest worry was a cloud bank that was perfectly positioned to obscure the sun during eclipse maximum: totality. Several other American astrophysicists were in Cairns for the eclipse, we were able to interview them about their research activities to be included in the film. The result is a documentary film with science, diversity, and tension. NSF grant #1256995 supported the five days of filming in Cairns. The film teammembers reflected our national diversity with Asian, African, and Hispanic Americans. The film teammembers included two graduate students from University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University. Included among the scientist in the film are students from Alabama A & M, Williams College, and a postdoc from NASA Marshall. Black Sun is in post-production with the first screening scheduled for an astrophysics conference in Gabon coincident with the November 4, 2013, total solar eclipse. Black Sun has the goal of inspiring students that are members of underrepresented groups to consider careers in the sciences. By showing scientists doing their work and the excitement of doing 'real' science, the film seeks to introduce students to what can be considered 'the scientific lifestyle'. Upon completion, the documentary will be screened with audience assessment.
