Five Cool Things to Observe During the Eclipse

Original publication, Methow Valley News, 9 Aug 2017

If you have not heard the news, something exciting is coming to our way – a solar eclipse on August 21, 2017. The Methow Valley will experience a partial eclipse, while many people will be traveling to neighboring states Oregon and Idaho to experience the total eclipse.

The Bear Fight Institute will hold a community presentation at the Trails End Bookstore this Saturday, August 12, starting at 3:00 pm. Scientists from the Bear Fight Institute will give a presentation about the solar eclipse, and student interns will be on hand to demonstrate how to make your own eclipse projector to safely view the solar eclipse.

Before the full eclipse while the moon is partially coving the sun, stand in the shade of a tree on a sidewalk or other light colored, flat, surface. Hundreds of crescent images of the partially covered Sun will be dancing in the shade. The gaps between the tree leaves act like a pinhole camera by projecting the Sun’s image on the ground. This is a safe way to view all the partial phases of the eclipse without damaging your eyes.

The darkest part of the Moon’s shadow, the umbra, will dramatically race across the ground just before and after totality. From a mountaintop, or high vantage point, the view of the umbra racing across the landscape is breathtaking.

Four planets can be seen during the eclipse, when the sky is dark as night. The brightest planet, Venus, will be to the west of the Sun. Also on the west side, slightly dimmer, will be the red planet Mars.  To the east the Sun will be Mercury and Jupiter. Jupiter is the second-brightest planet and is located south east of the Sun.

The corona is the outer edge of our star, the Sun. As the moon slides between earth and sun, the hot plasma of the corona is visible around the moon. The shape of the corona is created by magnetic activity on the solar surface and the interaction of the hot plasma with the magnetic field. 
There is no available technology to map the magnetic field in the corona at resolutions comparable to those details seen during a total solar eclipse - scientists across the nation will be busy studying the corona during the eclipse!

Shadow Bands are probably the most difficult phenomena to observe during a solar eclipse. They are not easy to capture in video. Sixty to 90 seconds before and after the moon totally covers the sun, look closely at a flat light-colored surface around you. Dark lines called shadow bands race back and forth across the light-colored surfaces. These shadowy lines are cast by the mountains valleys of the Moon’s contoured rim.

Stay safe during the eclipse, looking directly at the sun will permanently damage the eye within seconds. Use only certified eclipse glasses or hand-held solar viewers. Sunglasses are not safe for looking at the Sun. While using eclipse glasses do not look at the Sun through a camera, telescope, or any other optical device — the concentrated solar rays will cause serious eye injury.

For more information and activities, visit http://science.nasa.gov. Follow the Bear Fight Institute on facebook to catch fun tips and facts about our solar system.