There’s only one more month until the United States is treated to a total solar eclipse that will stretch across the continent from Oregon to South Carolina. This eclipse on Monday August 21st will be the biggest astronomical event to hit our skies for over a hundred years, and I hope many of you will be able to enjoy at least part of the show.
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There’s only one more month until the United States is treated to a total solar eclipse that will stretch across the continent from Oregon to South Carolina. This eclipse on Monday August 21st will be the biggest astronomical event to hit our skies for over a hundred years, and I hope many of you will be able to enjoy at least part of the show.
Solar Eclipse (Credit: Justin Ng)
If you plan to attend the fun, please heed this warning:
DO NOT LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN: EVER!!!!!!
Every time a good solar eclipse occurs, hundreds of people injure their eyes by not taking the necessary precautions. And it’s so easy to get glasses that give you all the protection you need. Seriously, Wal-Mart has them, Amazon has them, dozens of retailers sell eclipse glasses starting at $10, so get them!!! Read More
Now everyone knows that a solar eclipse is caused by the Moon passing in front of the Sun from our perspective here on Earth. (A lunar eclipse, on the other hand, occurs when the Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon) However, many people are unsure of some details, such as the difference between the Umbra, where a total eclipse occurs, and the penumbra. where you only get a partial eclipse.
Looking at the NASA image below, you can see that while the Sun is much larger than the Moon (its diameter is about 4,000 times larger), it is also much farther from Earth (about 4,000 times farther). That’s why they look almost the same size in our sky. If you follow the lines of the Sun’s outer edges, you can see how the Moon blocks some of the light from the Sun over a large swath of the Earth’s surface (this is the Penumbra), but only completely blocks the Sun in a small area (this is the Peninsula). Umbra) and only for a very short time.
To see a total eclipse, to see the stars and planets rising in the daytime, and to see the solar corona, you must be in the narrow band of the Umbra. The map below shows the Umbra’s path across the US with local times when totality will occur. For a more detailed map of your area, click the link below the map to go to NASA’s special website for this eclipse.
Now, my hometown of Philadelphia is nowhere near the path of totality, so I’m headed to Nashville, Tennessee, which is one of several large cities in the path of totality and only a few miles from the point of maximum duration. Now I’m just crossing my fingers for clear weather on the day of the eclipse. In fact, there is a long history of astronomers and other scientists making long journeys to witness and study total eclipses, only to end up seeing nothing but clouds.
Seven years from now, in 2024, there will be another major total eclipse. This will be closer to me, crossing Ohio, western Pennsylvania and much of New York, so I’m hoping to get another chance if this year’s eclipse doesn’t pan out. So wish me luck and I’ll do the same for you. If all goes well, I’ll be able to share some great photos with you in a few weeks. Eclipse of 2017