SunSketcher

FALL 2023 – PRESENT

Sketching the Shape of the Sun

Using Design & Citizen Science to Better Measure the Shape of the Sun

Available on iOS and Android devices, SunSketcher™ is a free smartphone app designed to take pictures of total solar eclipses. Widespread use of the app generates a database of images that, when analyzed together, have the potential to allow scientists to map the shape of the Sun.

By aggregating massive amounts of images, SunSketcher will determine the precise times when Baily’s beads (flashes of sunlight passing through valleys between the mountains at the occulting lunar limb) appear and disappear, at different locations along the eclipse path. This information helps scientists better understand the shape of the sun. The shape of the sun is needed to test various gravitational theories.

Photo of the eclipse with a bead of light in the bottom, illustrating the Baily's bead phenomenon. — Photo of Baily’s beads by Clinton Lewis, WKU

Travis Peden, student Lead Android Developer, speaking to a reporter in Texas.

Achievements

From the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse

40k+

APP DOWNLOADS

150k

IMAGES COLLECTED

15+

ARTICLES GENERATED

UX, UI, & SunSketcher

As the faculty lead for user experience (UX) analysis and testing, I focus on the design and usability of the smartphone application.

Additionally, I mentored undergraduate student Tabby Cline, who served as the UX and user interface (UI) designer for the 2023 – 2024 academic year.

In Fall of 2024, I pilot tested the IDEA Lab, an internship credit class for students to continue development on SunSketcher.

TEAM EFFORT

➡️ View the IDEA Lab students
➡️ View members of the 2023-2024 team

Next Steps

With future eclipses taking place outside of the US, the challenge was designing an app that used as little written language as possible. This required simplifying any remaining language and developing new graphics to convey concepts clearly.

In the first published iteration of the app, we moved pretty quickly with one UX student, Tabby Cline, working on the app. With a deadline like the eclipse, there could be no delays. While Tabby did a tremendous job, we moved swiftly, without much time dedicated to user flows and style guides. This second time around, we spent time conceptualizing a logical user flow and a defined style guide.

Lastly, we needed a new animated tutorial.