Solar eclipses tend to draw the attention of astronomers and civilians alike, but a recent study, which provides evidence that eclipses can affect the weather, may also be of interest to meteorologists.

In the study, a team of meteorologists from the University of Reading reviewed atmospheric changes linked to 44 solar eclipses dating back to 1834. In addition to a reduction of the sun's rays, the researchers noted that atmospheric cooling caused by eclipses can create dynamic changes.

Observations and models collected by the researchers show that the change in weather can be attributed to the “eclipse wind.”

According to a release on the study, an eclipse wind is a change in wind direction as the moon temporarily blocks the sun.

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“There have been lots of theories about the eclipse wind over the years, but we think this is the most compelling explanation yet,” said Professor Giles Harrison in the release. “As the sun disappears behind the moon, the ground suddenly cools, just like at sunset. This means warm air stops rising from the ground, causing a drop in wind speed and a shift in its direction, as the slowing of the air by the Earth’s surface changes.”

The researchers were able to collect widespread information on the weather by recruiting about 4,500 citizen scientists to help them with their National Eclipse Weather Experiment, in which they measured the meteorological effects of the partial eclipse in the United Kingdom on March 20, 2015.

According to the release, they confirmed that the atmosphere cooled during the eclipse, and they also registered slackening winds. The change in wind conditions can be attributed to variations in Earth’s boundary layer.

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