In 2023, I tracked temperature fluctuations during the annular eclipse using an Acurite Atlas weather station, showing a sight temperature drop corresponding with decreased light intensity during the max of the eclipse.  

During the 2024 total eclipse, I captured the same measurements using both AcuRite Atlas from the prior year and a microcontroller fixed with a temperature sensor and ambient light sensor. I was also interested to see if temperature is impacted to a greater extent during a total eclipse versus an annular eclipse. 

Predictably, the temperature dropped during the eclipse and rose shortly after the eclipse max. The microcontroller setup showed more variation in measurements than the Acurite Atlas, but recorded a similar relationship between ambient light and temperature during the eclipse.


I also compared measurements between the 2023 annular eclipse and 2024 total eclipse. Interestingly, the temperature only fell ~0.3 degrees lower between the start and max of the total eclipse than it did during the same interval of the annular eclipse.


I used the data to create an animated visualization of changes in light intensity during the eclipse. In Adobe After Effects, the LUX values at each recorded interval modify the opacity of a stock image of the sun. A black circle moves across the sun to indicate the approximate position of the moon at that moment during the eclipse. During the eclipse max, the moon is centered over the sun image and the LUX drops to a value of 1.

Solar Eclipse Temperature And Light Intensity Measurement

A description of this project will be posted soon. In the mean time, you can view the work in progress photos below.

Starlink pan-tilt mount and satellite tracker

I developed a Figma plugin called "Cite" that allows users to add citations from Zotero to Figma files and FigJam boards. Cite was inspired by the idea that design tools might offer new ways for researchers to visualize the connections between peer-reviewed sources. Additionally, maybe there are opportunities for designers to bolster design rationale by citing empirical evidence.


The plugin uses the Figma Plugin API to pass search queries to the Zotero Web API, which returns a list of relevant publications saved to the user's Zotero library.

I also created a demo file for prospective users and a board to openly collect feedback. 

The initial release of this plugin is a proof of concept, but I hope to add more to it in the future. 


Cite: A Figma plugin for Zotero

Solar Eclipse Temperature And Light Intensity Measurement

Starlink pan-tilt mount and satellite tracker