Total solar eclipse tomorrow
This image (three combined frames) shows the last total solar eclipse, March 29, 2006. The next one takes place tomorrow. The Exploratorium will Webcast the event live from China. From Science News:
This particular eclipse will sweep across the planet in a slim path that begins in Nunavut, a northern province of Canada, and ends in northern China. So people in parts of Canada, northern Greenland, the Arctic, central Russia, Mongolia and China will be able to witness the seconds-long blackout.Total solar eclipse (Science News), Total Solar Eclipse 200 Live from China (Exploratorium)
When the moon totally obscures the sun — the moment of totality — the sun’s outer atmosphere, called the solar corona, becomes visible. The solar corona reaches temperatures higher than a million degrees Celsius and extends farther than 620,000 miles from the star’s surface. Because the sun’s surface is brighter than its corona, a solar eclipse is the only opportunity to see the corona with the naked eye.
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I saw the eclipse in 2006 pictured above. We were in the desert about 60 miles inland from Tikrit in Libya. Total solar eclipses are just about the most fantastic sight you could ever hope to see.
I believe there will be a total eclipse visible from much of the US in 2017 or thereabouts.
If you have never seen one, and you are anywhere nearby, GO!! I saw the one in the Carribbean 1998 and it remains one of my most treasured memories. Words and pictures cannot do it justice. I will never forget the sight of the moon's shadow sweeping towards us over the horizon.
I remember one in the early 90's that was a 85% eclipse where I was.
The most striking element was the polarization of the light, since only a sliver of light was making it past the moon, the shadows cast by the trees and buildings was absolutely magical, and totally unforgettable.
Nunavut is a territory, not a province.
More importantly, no one should be looking at the corona with the naked eye.
3: I remember one in the early 90's that was a 85% eclipse where I was.
Yeah, that was my only one too, and it was about the same degree of totality (I was in Ohio). I'm pretty sure it was in the spring of 1994.
Of course, even 1994's total eclipse of the sun couldn't compare with 1980's Total Eclipse of the Heart.
For those unfamiliar with this phenomenon...do not ever look directly at a solar eclipse for any length of time without filtration designed for this purpose. Enjoy!!!! :)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1581424/Dozens-blinded-in-India-looking-for-Virgin-Mary.html
I was going to say, it's a shame I don't live in Nunavut. Then I decided that it's a shame I won't get to see this eclipse, but living somewhere warmer than Nunavut is actually quite nice.
DAVID_NEWLAND @4, You should email Science News and let them know about Nunavut not being a province.
Nunavut is a territory, not a province.
If you're born in a territory, do you have full Canadian citizenship?
Takuan is 99% correct, but that last 1% makes all the difference. Don't look at a partial, always look during totality.
If an eclipse isn't yet at totality (or is only partial), use eye protection. That is, if the sun's disk--what gets fully covered by the moon in totality--is visible, then that patch of sun can damage the eye.
However, the moment totality is about to start--when the Bailey's beads are all that's left--you should do nothing but look at it directly, because it's by far the most beautiful natural phenomenon there is.
And if you've only seen a partial eclipse--it isn't the same. People use analogies like "a partial eclipse is like a kiss, a total eclipse is like a night of passion." I didn't believe them, until I saw my first total eclipse.
Hurra Torpedo seems very appropriate:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysUjYAi0WcQ
I remember the 1994 eclipse that went through the US, but not because I got to see it.
I was in 6th grade, and the day before, my middle school had us kids take home a waiver for our parents to sign allowing us to go outside to "observe" the eclipse. The day of the eclipse practically everyone had turned in their parental waiver. Lo and behold, that morning the school changed their minds and wouldn't let anyone go outside for the eclipse, regardless of parent signature. So there we sat in our desks, watching the mid-day sunshine get darker and darker then lighter again, only through the small, dreary windows of our classrooms. That sucked.
That day in social studies we had a group project, so my friends and I named our group the "We Didn't Get To See The Eclipsers."
#9 David Pescovitz - great suggestion, I'll do it.
#10 Antinous - yes, if you're born in a territory you're a full Canadian citizen.
#13, I had an almost identical experience with that same eclipse. Except they closed the curtains on us, lest we be destroyed by the daystar. They finally let one guy out to see it. He had brought a full welding mask.
Every solar eclipse since then has either not happened over where I live or the weather was too cloudy to see any of it.
I saw the last total eclipse of the 1990s (and, therefore, the last one of that millennium) from the southwest coast of Cornwall, UK.
My impression: Awesome. We got to see the shadow sweeping across the surface of the sea toward us, leaving a line of instantly-formed cloud in the air behind it. As it got darker, all the gulls flew down to roost and went silent; as the gulls were settling, all the insects suddenly stopped chirping. The totality itself is the weirdest and most amazing thing I've seen so far. As soon as the totality had passed, all the birds and insects started flying, calling and buzzing again as if nothing had happened. To be honest, the way the animals behaved made the whole event more surreal.
Hopefully I'll see another one someday... I'll plan my next holiday accordingly.
Nice picture!
@ #13 Kurtmac - Reminds me of the Ray Bradbury story "All in a summer day."
Vancouver Canada is a shitty place to watch eclipses
Salzburg, 1999.
It was a cloudy day, but we all were hopeful. 20 minutes before eclipse a benign wind gently push the clouds toward a less crowded area.
The Moon slowly begins to dent the Sun. Then shadows become funny, you see thousand of little shiny reapers cast from a tree, where the light finds its way between the leafs. Ducks by the Salzach' shores find cover for the approaching "night".
After some eternal minutes, the Moon covers almost entirely the Sun disc (something hardwired very deeply in you hopes that at least a fraction of the Sun could remain visible. That's fear of the dark. That's fear of the death.)
Gone. Amazingly and dreadfully gone. (forever?). You can hear people "Aaah..." distantly.
I wonder how much bright are total eclipses. They are not even vaguely similar to nights. Maybe a total eclipse resembles a dawn, but without a fading pattern from an horizon to the other. It's almost grey everywhere.
Wind blows in your face, you take a screen (glass and carbon black, radiographic film, ecc...) and start to see wonders. Is your only chance to see the Sun' Corona, don't waste it.
Finally you realize how short is an eclipse. In the best case, in the best point, in the best conditions, rarely is longer than 3 minutes. Then comes back the Sun, and you understand why Egyptians had three deity for the sun, and why light = good = hope.
God, I hate people applauding after a landing. I can't remember if people applauded with the sun coming back in line of sight, but in this case I am in denial.
Then ducks wake up again, and a new wave of little shadowy reapers greets you.
The Total Eclipse won't be easy to forget.
because the Earth is in the way?
in Portland, OR, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, will be showing a live broadcast of the eclipse in their planetarium. "Broadcast Begins at 3:30am PDT and Totality at 4:09am PDT on August 1, 2008"
http://www.omsi.edu/visit/EventDetail.cfm?ID=128
Bow, mortals, before the great Fred Espenak, Sage and Seer of Eclipses!
Seriously people, I met Fred many years ago after he first started maintaining the NASA eclipse page and he is a smart, unassuming, and dedicated individual. Any of you who have had the opportunity to witness one of these events, should thank Fred for his efforts. I was lucky enough to see one of the longest solar eclipses in modern history, and it was a truly magical, mind-bending, experience. If you have a chance you, solar eclipses are a must-see.
plus,if you're about to get your heart ripped out on a stone pyramid,they don't
I skipped school the day of the nigh-total eclipse in the early 90s. I used a pinhole box and a lens to observe it.
That was just not worth missing. I learned a lot about optics that day.
Solar eclipse from the moon...not so spectacular.
BoingBoing, you rock. I had no idea this was being webcast. My 8 year old son and I are watching as we speak.
This is so cool he had to go to the bathroom.
Eclipse finishing in Beijing , 8 days before the 8.08.08 and the beginning of the Olympic games.
8 being the chinese lucky number
You should maybe add to the main post that you shouldn't look at the eclipse with a naked eye - just in case people aren't reading the many comments regarding that... just wouldn't want anyone going blind is all.
I am normally ignore semantics battles but I can't resist:
Nunavut is a province. It is not a Province as defined by the Canadian BNA act.
I normally stay out of these debates because I have actually been in staff meetings (yes meetingS!) where the issue of: "Is it Montreal or Montréal?" was discussed for more than an hour!
This is valuable ice cream eating time that I will never get back.
I could sit here and read through these posts all night. I remember the first time I witnessed an total solar eclipse in the 90's. As many people here will agree, it is a sight that will never be forgotten.
The only reason I found this site is, I joined the U.S. Army a few years back and I just happened to get stationed in Okinawa, Japan. And here in about a week, 22 July 2009. We're supposed to be getting what is the longest solar eclipse of the twenty first century to date, six minutes and thirty nine seconds.
Unfortunately, I am not in the direct path of this eclipse and will see only about 90% of it from Okinawa. As the other anonymous writer from #11 stated, I will only get the kiss as compared to reliving the full night of passion that I remember so vividly. Still, undoubtedly, it will be a moment meant to be remembered for a lifetime.
I can only hope that the clouds that frequent this island will keep their distance for the show. I will do my best to follow up with an account of the event if I can remember this site in a week.