# Lounge > Science and Technology >  >  2017 solar eclipse

## Sagan

Some links: 
http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEgoogl...21Tgoogle.html (Goddard?s eclipse site) 
http://eclipsophile.com/total-solar-...017-august-21/ (has interesting weather history info for diff. locations) 
http://web.williams.edu/Astronomy/eclipse/  (Jay Pasachoff?s site) 
http://www.greatamericaneclipse.com 
http://www.eclipse2017.org/2017/path_through_the_US.htm

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## Chantellabella

I remember a solar eclipse when my kids were small (or when I was small) (can't remember when it was). But the temperature dropped about 20 degrees. It was amazing. I hope that happens again here in the south.

You're going to have an awesome view, Sagan. It's path is next to you.

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## CloudMaker

Is this real why would it do that

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## Chantellabella

> Is this real why would it do that



 Drop the temperature? 

The sun was blocked and a shade came over my area. The temperature dropped drastically. It was awesome!

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## CloudMaker

no u mean the moon lines up with the sun what are the odds of that

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## Chantellabella

> no u mean the moon lines up with the sun what are the odds of that



That's something you'll have to ask Sagan. He's the resident science guy.

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## Cuchculan

This poor Irishman will never see a solar eclipse again in his lifetime. Next one visible from Ireland is not for about another 60 or so years. That is a full one. Not that we really ever saw many before with all the rain we get here. I can only recall one as a teen. Darkness in the day time. Eerie but amazing.

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## CloudMaker

> This poor Irishman will never see a solar eclipse again in his lifetime. Next one visible from Ireland is not for about another 60 or so years. That is a full one. Not that we really ever saw many before with all the rain we get here. I can only recall one as a teen. Darkness in the day time. Eerie but amazing.



At least u get cool things like big ben and stonehenge. we have a place called carhenge which is cool but not the real thing

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## Cuchculan

Muscail cailin. Nil Eire phairc den Riocht Aontaithe. Taimid ar ar fein Country. Buille faoi thuairim me nach bhfuil tireolaiocht do abhar is laidre? Ta me an fear agus broduil aisti Gaeilge.

Say what? That is the language of Ireland. Which is its own Country. Not part of the UK. Back to school you go.

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## CloudMaker

Why is it United Kingdom if they're not united

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## Otherside

Ireland isn't even part of the UK lol. 

You may as well claim Mexico is part of the US. 

Sent from my G3121 using Tapatalk

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## Sagan

> I remember a solar eclipse when my kids were small (or when I was small) (can't remember when it was). But the temperature dropped about 20 degrees. It was amazing. I hope that happens again here in the south.
> 
> You're going to have an awesome view, Sagan. It's path is next to you.



Right, I'm only about a little over 100 miles south of the center line. Can't wait  ::):

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## Cuchculan

Some American's for you. I can see why she likes Trump now. It is kind of obvious at this stage.

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## Sagan

> no u mean the moon lines up with the sun what are the odds of that



 ::):  I shall refer you here for more information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_eclipse

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## Chantellabella

> Some American's for you. I can see why she likes Trump now. It is kind of obvious at this stage.



Now now children. Play nice.

@Sagan
, are you going to set up any type of viewing science stuff? 

I remember when one of the best comets came barreling over, we went out to an oil field with a giant telescope. 

When it's just you and sky there's  just nothing like it.

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## Sagan

@*Chantellabella*

I may set up a small telescope with filters. BUT there are a lot of forest fires burning all around me here in the west. Right now outside, it is basically overcast. but with smoke and ash, not clouds. Smells like a camp fire everywhere. I fear if there is not a wind change, or serious containment on the fires. I will be stuck with a smoky sky  ::(: 

Just make sure to get a cheap pair of eclipse viewing glasses. (like cardboard 3d glasses but with filters to protect your eyes)

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## Ironman

I so want to head down to Bowling Green KY or just south.  That'd be worth taking a vacation day.....or two.
Even here at home, the sun will be 91% covered.

I remember having an eclipse that was over 50% around 1986-1987 and thought it was surreal - a clear/sunny day with the eclipse.  I used the pinhole camera method and it does work!!  I remember them saying there would be a total eclipse in 2017 way back then....and that "I will be 42 then!" 

Well guess what.....we're here!

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## Sagan

> no u mean the moon lines up with the sun what are the odds of that





A  solar eclipse happens when the moon passes in front of the sun and  casts its shadow somewhere on Earth. The chances of a solar eclipse  depend on a number of factors related to the movement of these three  bodies. By tracking this complex movement, scientists can predict the  time, location, duration and type of eclipse. Between two and five solar  eclipses occur each year.

*Types of Eclipses*The three main types of solar eclipse are  total, annular and partial. A total eclipse occurs when the moon is  close to Earth; its apparent disk in the sky can block out the entire  disk of the sun when it passes in front of it. An annular eclipse occurs  when the moon is slightly farther away from the Earth, such that its  apparent disk does not cover the entire disk of the sun. During an  annular eclipse, we still see a portion of the sun's disk around that of  the moon. A partial eclipse occurs when only part of the disk of the  moon passes in front of the sun. A fourth, and rare, type is the hybrid  eclipse. The hybrid eclipse involves both a total and annular eclipse.
*Motion of the Moon*As  the moon rotates around the Earth, it travels in an ellipse. At any  given time, it will variably be closer and farther from Earth. The  moon's closest point to Earth is called perigee. Its farthest point is  apogee. This variation in distance affects the type of eclipse that will  occur, if one does. At perigee, we might see a total eclipse, because  the moon will be larger in the sky. At apogee, we might see an annular  eclipse, as the moon appears smaller.
*The Ecliptic*The  ecliptic is the line in the sky that is traversed by the bodies of our  solar system. We see the sun move across the ecliptic. The moon's path,  however, is slightly inclined relative to the ecliptic. It is only  directly in front of the sun at the two points where its path intersects  the ecliptic. This is one of the reasons we don't see a solar eclipse  at every new moon.
*Motion of the Earth*The Earth,  similarly, orbits the sun in an ellipse, so the sun's disk in the sky  varies in size as well. When the Earth is closest to the sun, the Earth  is at perihelion. When the Earth is farthest from the sun, the Earth is  at aphelion. At perihelion, we are likelier to witness an annular  eclipse. At aphelion, we might be able to see a total eclipse.


*

Eclipse Cycles and Prediction*

Because all of these bodies  move with regularity, scientists can construct a cyclical eclipse  calendar. The three determining factors in this cycle are the time  between new moons, the time between perigees, and the time between  moments where the moon crosses the ecliptic. All three of these  intervals align every 18 years, 11 months and 8 hours. This cycle of  time is called a Saros. Each Saros lasts roughly 12 to 13 centuries, and  produces between 69 and 86 eclipses of various types. Typically, about  40 active Saros cycles are in effect at a time, which translates to at  least two solar eclipses a year. At most, five solar eclipses may occur  in a year, though this is fairly rare.

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## CloudMaker

@Sagan
 wow that is real cool thx so much i hope i see one

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## CloudMaker

> I so want to head down to Bowling Green KY or just south.  That'd be worth taking a vacation day.....or two.
> Even here at home, the sun will be 91% covered.
> 
> I remember having an eclipse that was over 50% around 1986-1987 and thought it was surreal - a clear/sunny day with the eclipse.  I used the pinhole camera method and it does work!!  I remember them saying there would be a total eclipse in 2017 way back then....and that "I will be 42 then!" 
> 
> Well guess what.....we're here!



b careful bowling green massacre LOL

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowling_Green_massacre

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## Ironman

> b careful bowling green massacre LOL
> 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowling_Green_massacre



If people aren't careful, the only thing lost will be their eyesight.  Eye protection is a MUST!

The total eclipse will "time peak" in southern Illinois and will last a grand total of two minutes and 40 seconds.  Southern KY/Northwest TN will be slightly shorter than that.

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## Sagan

*First time in 99 years: US total solar eclipse on 21 August excites scientists*https://www.theguardian.com/science/...tes-scientists 

First time in 99 years: US total solar eclipse on 21 August excites scientists  

Entire US will fall into shadow as eclipse passes, with darkest  path, or ‘totality’, contained in 70-mile (113km) ribbon from Oregon to  South Carolina  

Associated Press  Saturday 5 August 2017 22.39 EDT  Last modified on Saturday 5 August 2017 22.55 EDT   

The sun, moon and Earth will line up perfectly in the cosmos on 21  August, turning day into night for a few wondrous minutes, its path  crossing the US from sea to shining sea for the first time in nearly a  century. Never will a total solar eclipse be so heavily viewed and  studied or celebrated.  "We’re going to be looking at this event with  unprecedented eyes,” promises Alex Young, a solar physicist who is  coordinating Nasa’s education and public outreach. 

And the party planning is at full tilt from Oregon to South  Carolina. Eclipse fests, StarFests, SolarFests, SolFests, Darkening of  the SunFests, MoonshadowFests, EclipseCons, Eclipse Encounters and Star  Parties are planned along the long but narrow path of totality, where  the moon completely blots out the sun.  Vineyards, breweries, museums,  parks, universities, stadiums and just about everybody is getting into  the act. 
(snip) 

Scientists are also going gaga. “This is a really amazing chance to  just open the public’s eyes to wonder,” says Montana State University’s  Angela Des Jardins, a physicist in charge of a Nasa eclipse ballooning  project. The student-launched, high-altitude balloons will beam back  live video of the eclipse along the route.  atellites and ground  telescopes will also aim at the sun and at the moon’s shadow cutting a  swath 60 to 70 miles wide (97 to 113km) across the land. Astronauts will  do the same with cameras aboard the International Space Station. Ships  and planes will also catch the action.  “It’s going to be hard to beat,  frankly,” says Thomas Zurbuchen, head of Nasa’s science mission office. 

At the same time, researchers and the just plain curious will watch  how animals and plants react as darkness falls. It will resemble  twilight and the temperature will drop 10 to 15 degrees. 
(snip) 

Expect four hours of pageantry, from the time the sun begins to be  eclipsed by the moon near Lincoln City, Oregon, until the time the  moon’s shadow vanishes near Charleston, South Carolina.  The total  eclipse will last just 90 minutes as the lunar shadow sweeps coast to  coast at more than 1,500mph (2,400kph) beginning about 1.15pm EDT and  ending at 2.49pm EDT. The sun’s crown, the normally invisible outer  atmosphere known as the corona, will shine like a halo. 
(snip)

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## Sagan



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## CloudMaker

I thought if the earth had no sunlight then everything would be dead... if the moon blocks the sun... should we be scared?

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## Sagan

Life doesn't cease to exist during the night time. An eclipse only blocks out the sun for a couple minutes at most, over a very small area at a time. It moves along a strip, or path as the day progresses. The sun is only completely blocked out at the center of this strip, called totality. An area about 15 miles wide.

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## CloudMaker

> Life doesn't cease to exist during the night time. An eclipse only blocks out the sun for a couple minutes at most, over a very small area at a time. It moves along a strip, or path as the day progresses.



O I thought life existed at night from the moonlight. Interesting!

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## Sagan

Hey now. Play nice.  ::

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## CloudMaker

> Hey now. Play nice.



Sorry did I say something wrong

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## Sagan

@CloudMaker

No of course not. I'm just being friendly. I apologize if I came off rude or otherwise. I have no negative thoughts towards you are anyone. 

Again, i apologize if I offended you. That was never my intention what so ever.  ::):

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## CloudMaker

> @CloudMaker
> 
> No of course not. I'm just being friendly. I apologize if I came off rude or otherwise. I have no negative thoughts towards you are anyone. 
> 
> Again, i apologize if I offended you. That was never my intention what so ever.



Ok good I'm glad I like your posts they are cool : )

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## Sagan

Thanks!  ::):

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