On the Ocean: The Upcoming Solar Eclipse

Fred Espenak, a scientist emeritus at Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA’s expert on eclipses, a man known as Mr. Eclipse, notes that most people will have only eight opportunities in their entire lifetime to witness a total eclipse in the United States. You’ll what one that comes with a tripod so pictures don’t come out blurry.

Type in your location in the simulator and watch the progression of the total solar eclipse as it will appear in your area. A solar eclipse occurs when the moon’s shadow passes over the Earth’s surface, temporarily blocking the view of the sun from the Earth. It was the ancient Greeks who figured out the mathematics involved when the earth, moon and sun line up on the same plane causing an eclipse, he said.

The effect of a ideal total eclipse depends on the closeness of the Moon to the Earth.

When and where will this eclipse be visible? One of the few cities that lie in the path of totality, Columbia, Missouri, will get about two minutes and 35 seconds of darkness.

If it happens to be overcast on the day of the eclipse, NASA recommends “looking up at the bottoms of the clouds” to see the moon’s shadow, according to the video.

In this case the path of totality is about 112 kilometres (70 miles) wide and extends from the northwest to the southeast of the US.

Solar eclipses are a very fleeting thing – they last a few minutes at the most, so no matter where you are in Georgia on August 21, take a few minutes to step outside around 2:30 p.m. “A lot of my students haven’t seen any (eclipses)”.

Cardboard frames for solar eclipse glasses are stacked in the American Paper Optics factory in Bartlett, Tenn.

Those outside the path of totality will see a partial solar eclipse. “You don’t need astronomers to tell you that, but you do need astronomers to tell you where to get safe solar filters.To do otherwise is to take unnecessary risks”. Can I stare at the sun during the eclipse? No.

Eye safety will be critically important. If you stare at the sun without protection, you may experience damage to you retina (the tissue at the back of your eye) called “solar retinopathy”.

NASA also advises people to not look at the eclipse through a camera, telescope or binoculars with their solar glasses or shields.

As the nation anxiously awaits the Solar Eclipse on August 21, viewers are being warned about potentially unsafe glasses.

There will be another total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024 across much of the U.S. The paths of both the 2017 eclipse and the 2024 eclipse will cross at Carbondale, IL, the “Eclipse Crossroads of America”. Check your local library system to see if any branches are hosting eclipse events in which free glasses may be distributed (while supplies last, of course). You’ll find more information about why you need to protect your eyes at http://wapo.st/2vfFC5T.

If you’re staying put in a major city like Los Angeles or New York, Faherty has a few tips for getting the most out of the Great American Eclipse.