The solar eclipses happening in the United States (US) on Monday, August 21, 2017, will be the largest science event in history. This celestial event will be something you’ll remember for the rest of your life. Below is the information and some hints to enjoy this unique event to its fullest. .
The next total solar eclipse over
the continental U.S. occurs April 8, 2024. It’s a good one, too. Depending on
where you are (on the center line), the duration of totality lasts at least 3
minutes and 22 seconds on the east coast of Maine and stretches to 4 minutes
and 27 seconds in southwestern Texas. After that eclipse, it’s a 20-year wait
until August 23, 2044. Total solar eclipses follow in 2045 and 2078.
A solar
eclipse is a lineup of the sun, the moon, and earth. The moon, directly between the sun and earth, casts a
shadow on our planet. If you’re in the dark part of that shadow (the umbra), you’ll
see a total eclipse. If you’re in the light part (the penumbra) you’ll see a
partial eclipse. A solar eclipse
happens at new moon. The moon has to be between the sun and earth for a
solar eclipse to occur. The only lunar phase that happens is the new moon.
Eclipse
totalities [i]are
different lengths. The reason the total phases of
solar eclipses vary in time is because earth is not always at the same distance
from the sun, and the moon is not always the same distance from earth. The earth-sun
distance varies by three percent and the moon-earth distance by twelve percent.
You want
to be on the center line during a solar eclipse.
The moon’s shadow is round. The longest eclipse occurs at its center line
because that’s where you’ll experience the Moon’s shadow’s full width. First contact in the continental US
will be at Government Point, OR at 10:15:56.5 a.m. PDT. There the total phase
lasts 1 minute, 58.5 seconds. The longest totality lasts 2 minutes and 40.2 seconds in Carbondale, IL. The end of the eclipse for the US is not on
land. The center line’s last contact occurs at the Atlantic Ocean’s edge
(just southeast of Key Bay, SC).
Here are my suggestions related to enjoy it better:
1.
A solar telescope: In the event you’re
thinking of hosting a private party, make sure someone in attendance brings a
telescope with a solar filter. While it’s true that you don’t need a scope to
view the eclipse, having one there will allow you to point out sunspots, which
are irregularities along the moon’s edge.
2.
Don’t photograph the eclipse: This eclipse will
last at maximum around 162 seconds. If your camera isn’t doing what you think
it should, you’re going to lose valuable time adjusting it. Just watch. Watch
this solar eclipse in complete astonishment, Your only distraction should be
occasionally wiping tears of joy from your eyes. You will not be disappointed.
3.
Keep plans open: Totality will be the
shortest two and a half minutes of your life. All your attention should be on
the sun. Make plans to see it. Be considerate of those around you.
4.
Make bathroom preparations before the big
event: Don’t
wait until ten minutes before totality to start searching for a bathroom. Too
much is happening then. Make a bathroom search forty-five minutes prior.
5.
Mylar eclipse glasses: Cardboard eclipse glasses with optical
Mylar lenses cost about $2. This will allow one to safely gaze directly at the
sun. It filters out all of the dangerous ultraviolet radiation. Buy one well in
advance to look at the sun anytime.
6.
Record your memories: When the event is
still fresh in your mind shortly after the eclipse, take some time to write, or
make a video of your impressions. A decade from now an account like this will
help you relive this event.
7.
Totality: If you’re planning an
event related to the eclipse, consider this: Statistically, 100 percent of the
people you encounter will never have experienced darkness at noon. [ii]
“This is the whole stupid thing about all these …relationships [not connected by birth and blood]. They depend on people staying the same, standing in the same spot they were in over a decade ago, when they first met. Surely the reality is that connections between people aren't permanent, but fleeting and random, like a solar eclipse or clouds meeting in the sky. They exist in a constantly moving universe full of constantly moving objects.” (Matt Haig, author of The Radleys)
[i] Totality is the
moment of complete hiding of the sun (or moon) during an eclipse.
[ii] Sources used:
·
“Totality” Google Search Information
·
“Obscure”
from ReversoDictionary
·
“25 Facts You Should Know about the August 21, 2017,
Total Solar Eclipse” by Michael Bakich
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