Everything You Need to Know For the August 21, 2017 Eclipse
Emalee Couture
What is an eclipse?
An eclipse happens when one celestially body creates a shadow on another celestial body. There are two major types of eclipses that we can observe on Earth, lunar eclipses and solar eclipses.
What is a lunar eclipse?
A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth passes between the moon and the Sun. This causes the moon to appear red because the light from the sun is scattered through Earth’s atmosphere, shifting the color toward red. This is the same phenomenon that makes sunsets red here on Earth.
What is a solar eclipse?
A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes directly between the Sun and the Earth. Since the Moon and the Sun appear to be the same size in the sky, the Moon totally covers the Sun during a total solar eclipse. During a solar eclipse is the only time that the Sun’s atmosphere, called the Corona, can be seen from Earth.
What are the different types of solar eclipses?
There are three different types of solar eclipses, a total solar eclipse, partial solar eclipse, and an annular solar eclipse. A total solar eclipse occurs when the entire Sun is covered by the Moon. A total solar eclipse is only visible in the umbra or shadow of the moon, so it is only visible from certain places on Earth. A partial solar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Moon, and Earth are not totally lined up, and the Moon only covers part of the Sun. An annular solar eclipse occurs when the Moon is farther away from the Earth, so it is too small to cover the entire Sun.
Annular solar eclipse, partial solar eclipse, and total solar eclipse.
When is the next total solar eclipse and where do I have to be to see it?
The next total solar eclipse visible in the United States will occur on August 21, 2017. In order to see the total solar eclipse, you must be within the moon’s umbra or shadow. Luckily, for this coming eclipse, the path of the total solar eclipse cuts across the middle of the United States. As you get farther away from this area, you will see the Sun covered by less and less of the Moon.
How can I safely watch the eclipse?
Since the Sun is very dangerous to look with just your eyes, you need proper eye protection to watch the eclipse progress. One way that you can do that is with a pair of eclipse glasses. These glasses are specially designed to block out enough light so that the Sun is safe to view. Once the Moon has totally covered the Sun it is safe to observe without the glasses for about two minutes before the Moon moves past the Sun once again. To get glasses like these check outhttp://www.eclipseglasses.com/! This website has eclipse classes that come in a variety of styles and you can even get plastic ones. They are a great resource for more information about the upcoming eclipse, including maps of where the best places to see it are and when you can expect to see it!
Want more info? Go to these websites:
http://www.eclipseglasses.com/
http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse.html