Rick Patrick: Greene Publishing, Inc.
On Monday, Aug. 21, a rare solar eclipse will take place. It will cover most, if not all, of the continental United States with the moon's shadow as it passes across the sun. Although Madison will not experience a total solar eclipse that day, the people of Madison will still be able to see the effects of the eclipse. Beginning shortly after 1 p.m. on that day, the moon will begin to partially block the sun's light. It will continue to get darker for the next hour or so until 2:44 p.m. when the moon will block 88 percent of the sun's light. It will appear to be twilight for a few brief moments before the moon passes across the sun and the sunlight slowly returns to normal. The process will end shortly after 4 p.m. Across the nation, people will experience varying degrees of sun blockage. Only a relative few people will experience a total solar eclipse. The areas that will experience a total eclipse are along a 70 mile wide path that runs from Salem, Or. to Charleston, SC. This includes the cities of Boise, Id., Casper, Wy., Kansas City, Mo., St.Louis, Mo., Nashville, Tn., Atlanta, Ga. (Atlanta is on the edge of the 70 mile path) and Charleston, S.C. Since so many people live within a day's drive of the total eclipse area, traffic in and around those areas is expected to be very heavy. One can forget about getting a motel room at this point in time, as motel rooms have been booked months and, in some cases, years in advance. The absolute best place to watch the eclipse will be near Paducah, Ky. There the total eclipse will last two minutes and 40 seconds. One might be tempted to look up at the sun during an eclipse. This can be very damaging to one's eyesight. Just as it is dangerous to look directly at the sun any other day, it is equally dangerous to look directly at the sun during a partial eclipse. If one is experiencing a total eclipse, it is safe to look at the sun during those two or three minutes when the sun is completely blocked by the moon. For the rest of us, here are a couple of ways to safely enjoy the effects of the eclipse: Purchase a special pair of glasses designed for watching the eclipse. Just a pair of sunglasses will not provide sufficient protection. The glasses are not expensive. American Paper Optics has a 10-pack of glasses available from Amazon for $8.95. If you use a telescope be sure it has a proper solar filter. One old way of safely observing an eclipse is to make a “pin hole projector.” Make a small hole in a piece of paper or cardboard. With your back to the sun, hold that piece of paper up toward the sun and place another piece of paper (the “screen”) below so that an image of the sun appears on the “screen.” Watch the eclipse on your “screen” piece of paper. Do not look at the sun directly through the pinhole. There will be another total solar eclipse on Apr. 8, 2024 across much of the US. The paths of both the 2017 eclipse and the 2024 eclipse will cross at Carbondale, Il., the “Eclipse Crossroads of America.”