Total Eclipse of the Sun

Guys it’s August and the most exciting thing is happening. On August 21st of this year there will be a total solar eclipse visible in North America. This hasn’t occurred since 1979! So it’s something special to see for sure. As a former science teacher, I would be remiss if I didn’t share this news and how to view it with you guys!

The path of totality crosses diagonally across the US from Madras, Oregon to Columbia, South Carolina. The path is about 70 miles wide where you can see the eclipse in totality. Now at this point unless you’ve already made arrangements to get into the path of totality it’s going to be quite difficult to do so, but the eclipse will be at least partially visible from many places on Earth. If you’re wondering when or if it will be visible from your patch of Earth NASA has a map that can tell you that information for any place in the world! Check it out!

via NASA

Now if you want to view the eclipse DO NOT just go outside and STARE AT THE SUN! Staring at the sun without proper protection will ruin your vision. Regular sunglasses will not protect you vision. There are a few options you can use to safely view the eclipse.

The easiest, though perhaps not as exciting, is the projection method. This is a way to indirectly view the eclipse, so you won’t actually be looking at the sky. But it is safe to do.
For this you will need

• 2 stiff, white sheets of paper
• A pin
  

Image Credit: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

In one of the sheets of paper poke a pin hole. Now project the image of the sun onto the other paper through the hole. It may look like just a pin prick of light but it’s actually an image of the Sun! This is the same science as a camera. You are focusing the light and the image is being projected on the 2nd page.  If you’d like a more detailed, but still easy to understand explanation I found this site that explains how it works.

via NASA

Another popular method that is safe is using special glasses that allow you to directly view the eclipse without harming your eyes. You will need to make sure you order ones that are CE and ISO safe certified.Steve Spangler is on NASA’s list of approved vendors selling solar eclipse glasses. They sell the glasses in packs of 15 and are offering free shipping! So it’s a great package to order to throw a Solar Eclipse Viewing Party! Order by the 15th of August to make sure you get the glasses on time. NASA has information on how to use these glasses to safely view the eclipse. You should only remove the glasses when the eclipse is in totality. Read more about them at NASA's website here.

I’m so excited about this eclipse! Hopefully you guys get to view it in some way.