Last August 21, millions of people traveled to view a total eclipse of the Sun. This Wednesday, January 31, 2018, there will be a total eclipse of the Moon. While the total solar eclipse was visible only inside a narrow band of land, the total lunar eclipse will be visible to everyone on an entire side of planet Earth!
Here’s the short explanation of a lunar eclipse: On some orbits, the Moon travels through the shadow cast by the Earth. If the Moon is above our horizon, we can watch our shadow darken the surface of the Moon. If the Moon is completely darkened by the shadow, this is a total eclipse of the Moon. Otherwise, it is a partial eclipse of the Moon.
Here are some links to detailed explanations, and information about viewing this eclipse:
For this eclipse, people on the eastern portion of North America can watch the beginning stages of the eclipse. However, the Moon will set before it is totally covered. For those to the west (i.e. from North America, across the Pacific Ocean, and through most of Asia), the total eclipse will be visible. For detailed visibility maps, see:
As with the total solar eclipse, the simplest viewing techniques are often the most enjoyable. While going about your other activities, you can go outside from time to time, and see the progress. And, there is no law against staying inside and watching through a window!
When the eclipse is total, the Moon is illuminated by a small amount of sunlight which is “scattered” by Earth’s atmosphere. If you were standing on the Moon, you would see an orange ring around the Earth. This ring is a view of all the sunrises and sunsets all around the Earth! This ring of light casts an orange glow onto the Moon. This strength of the glow is affected by volcanic activity on Earth. Dust and aerosols from volcanic eruptions can darken the glow so that the Moon will be almost invisible.
This photo, by Brian Ottum, matches my memory of what the eclipse looked like.
It has taken a week to catch up on a lot of neglected chores (like sleep), but now I am ready to tell the story!
Summary: The experience of the eclipse was worth four days of driving!
We had options to go to Missouri, Nebraska, or Tennessee. Based on the weather forecasts, we chose Lebanon, Tennessee. We arrived on Sunday, and searched for good places to watch the eclipse. The Cedars of Lebanon State Park looked good, but I was apprehensive that the viewing area would not be big enough for the expected crowds of people.
Early in the morning of eclipse day, my daughter and I returned to the park, and claimed a spot in the open field. It turned out that there was plenty of room for everyone. We were joined by a fellow-member of my astronomy club with some friends.
The Ball Field at the Cedars of Lebanon State Park was not at all crowded.
We wanted clear skies, and we got them! The Sun was high in the sky, and the air was hot and humid. Fortunately, we had two extra camera tripods and two umbrellas. We fastened the umbrellas to the tripods with hose clamps and duct tape, and positioned them near our chairs so that we had some relief from the scorching sunshine.
After a full day of clear skies, banks of clouds moved in, and covered the Sun at the start of the partial eclipse. Thankfully, the clouds left and did not come back.
Here I am with my 5-camera monstrosity. Shortly afterwards, it was abandoned.
I had a grand plan to take videos and still shots of the eclipse, using 5 cameras mounted on a single tripod. I had tried out this gadget at home, and was successful in managing it. However, on eclipse day, I found that it was impossible to aim it high enough to capture the Sun, and I wasn’t able to keep it balanced.
After trying several fixes, I realized that we were half way into the partial eclipse, and I hadn’t looked at the Sun! So, I set some priorities by giving up the eclipse photography.
Giving up on the photography was a great relief. I was also able to be more sociable, and talk to the people around me. And, I was able to enjoy the eclipse!
Time passed quickly, and I noticed that the heat of the Sun was no longer bothersome. The remaining sunshine was dim, but didn’t have the orange cast which goes with sunset. Everything looked a bit gray.
Two minutes before totality, an unusual kind of darkness covered us.
I had a plan to watch the ground for the shadow bands, which are very subtle ripples which often appear just before and after totality. However, when the coverage of the Sun was in its last stages, I forgot those plans. My entire focus was on the long awaited total eclipse, which was about to happen.
Through the eclipse glasses, I watched the Sun shrink rapidly. When there was nothing more to see, it was time to put the glasses aside. I will try to describe what I saw: The sky was a dark grayish blue, which was brighter gray near the Sun. The body of the Sun was a round black circle. The corona was quite a bit larger than the disk of the Sun. Its width was irregular, and was widest on the lower right. At first look, a red stream protruded from the bottom of the black disk. Its length was about 1/16 of a sun diameter, and was visible without magnification.
I came to my senses and remembered that I had brought a pair of 7 x 50 binoculars to use during totality. Because they didn’t have solar filters, I had hidden them for safety. I scrambled in the dark, and found them. The view of the Sun was better with magnification, but the red streamer appeared smaller.
Toward the end of totality, the red stream had changed appearance again. Someone nearby said that this object was a solar flare. I need to learn more about this. I didn’t think that solar features changed so rapidly over a period of 2 – ½ minutes. It is possible that the changes were in my perception, rather than reality.
Although stars and planets were visible during totality, I was not interested in viewing them on eclipse day. I have the rest of my life to do that! Venus, however, forced itself on me. Because it was so close to the Sun and so high in the sky, it was annoyingly bright. I had never seen Venus so bright. Curiously, I remember the position of Venus as directly above the Sun in the sky. Later, I checked the position of Venus on two different planetarium apps. They both show Venus to the right, and slightly higher than the Sun. I think that the apps were right, and the observer was excited.
The 2 minutes and 20 seconds of totality passed quickly, and a tiny sliver of the Sun lit up our area again. I was amazed at how much light comes from the Sun even when it is 99% covered. In a few seconds, lighting had changed from a very deep twilight to an early twilight, and we had no trouble seeing ourselves and our surroundings.
Our crowd was very calm, compared to ones I had watched on videos. We all broke out with a spontaneous cheer at the start of totality, and another applause at the return of the Sun.
I had no regrets that I dropped the idea of photographing the eclipse, because I was planning to take a series of shots with a manual single-lens-reflex camera. It is unlikely that I would have had enough alertness to make the settings and shoot the pictures. I did remember to make movies of the crowd reactions. The quality of the movies is mediocre, but their keepsake value is tremendous.
A few minutes after totality ended, I was thinking about the next total solar eclipse for North America, which will be on April 8, 2024.
No need to worry. There are several safe, simple ways to view the progress of the eclipse:
A pinhole projector can be as simple as an index card with a tiny hole. A thumb tack or a push pin can make a good hole of the proper size. ‘To use, hold the card so that it faces the Sun, and place a second index card in the shadow of the first card. Adjust the spacing of the cards until a good image of the Sun is visible.
Use a mirror to project Sunlight onto a wall. I just heard about this technique, and haven’t had a chance to try it out. Use a circular mirror, or a mirror masked by cardboard with a circular hole. Hold the mirror so that it casts reflected sunlight onto a smooth white or gray wall, or some similar surface. If all goes well, the patch of reflected light will have the same shape as the eclipsed Sun. Caution: Don’t look directly into the mirror to see the Sun. This is just as destructive as looking directly at the Sun. If you fasten the mirror to any kind of fixture, stay with it, so that other people don’t misuse it.
Here’s an easy one: Find a tree or bush with leaves and look at the shadow that it casts. Wherever the shadow has a small sunny spot, you should be able to see the shape of the eclipsed Sun. This same effect can be produced by a piece of cardboard with a hole, or even with your hands and fingers.
Today is packing day, and tomorrow we drive to Illinois. On Saturday morning, we will pick a destination, based on the latest weather forecasts.
It is my desire to make frequent posts during this expedition. We will see if this works out. Right now, the last-minute preparations don’t leave much time for writing!
No one knows for sure how many people will travel to the band of land where the Total Solar Eclipse of August 21, 2017 will be visible. Crowding will very likely be a problem, but here are a few ideas to consider:
The “narrow band” for totality is actually a vast area. Even with millions of people visiting, there is plenty of room for everyone.
Of course, some places will be very popular, and they will be crowded.
Our love of automobiles and our road system is the weak link in handling a large number of people. On August 21, the eclipse traffic will be added to the normal traffic load. A particular concern would be after the eclipse, where most people will want to go home at the same time.
Motel rooms will be available at the last minute, because some people (my self included) have made reservations in multiple cities. The unused reservations will be cancelled a day or two before August 21.
So, I offer this advice:
Try to make motel reservations as close to the area of totality as possible.
Check for last-minute vacancies at places inside the area of totality.
Arrive at your destination as early as you can manage.
Keep your gas tank full, and bring food and water.
Bring printed road maps, since the cellular networks in some areas may be overloaded.
Try to plan a route which avoids the major highways. In particular, be wary of expressways, because U-turns are not allowed.
Research good locations to view the eclipse. Many small towns have provided viewing areas, with varying levels of support.
While the centerline of the band of totality offers the maximum duration of totality, areas a small number of miles away will be almost as good.
In summary, a total eclipse of the Sun is such a magnificent event that many people want to experience it. Even with advance planning, inconveniences will occur. The goal is to keep them to a minimum, and have a memorable day!
As August 21 approaches, my excitement increases. After many years of hearing about total solar eclipses, I expect to have the chance to see one.
If the Moon were alive, it would probably wonder why there is so much excitement. After all, the Moon has been following the same path for millions of years.
Last night, the Moon looked serene as it hovered over the Western horizon, as it has done so many times before. From my point of view, this time is different. I see the Moon beginning its last set of phases before the Total Eclipse in August.
Some times I can’t come up with a good topic, and should not burden the reader with a low-quality post.
Today, I was ready to skip the weekly post, but I remembered that Jupiter is in a prominent location in the sky. Jupiter has always been a pleasure to observe, with a telescope, with binoculars, or even naked-eye.
Real Simple Astronomy 