Monday, August 7, 2017

Solar Eclipse Prep

Last week I picked up a pair of free solar eclipse viewing glasses from my public library. Many libraries in the U.S. are giving them out or holding eclipse parties where they will be used.


It's hard to believe I will be able to see anything through what looks like foil. Maybe I will give it a test run in a few days. Today it is cloudy. That is the big if on August 21st, the weather.

In Winona Lake, Indiana where I live the coverage of the sun should be around 88%. That is enough that it should seem like twilight, and the temperature could drop as much as 10 degrees. It would be interesting to be in a place of totality, but the full coverage only lasts about 2 minutes, not worth a trip of hundreds of miles for me. Since I am retired, I will be able to pop outside from time to time until the peak here occurs at 2:23 p.m.

Time has an interesting interactive feature on its web. You can input your zip code and see the peak time where you live and watch an animation of what the coverage will be.

So fun that the United States is the path this time around. Don't forget safety. You must have special glasses (available for purchase online or free from some libraries and museums and astronomy clubs). Do not look at the sun with the naked eye or regular sunglasses; you will risk permanent vision loss.



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