Today’s topic is: Getting the most out of your eclipse experience While most of the lower 48 states will see a partial eclipse, total solar eclipses are rare. The last time that Austin experienced a total solar eclipse was May 26th, 1397. The next one will be February 25th, 2343. So, this will be the only total eclipse that most of us will witness (there’s always eclipse tourism, though). If at all possible, you really need to try to look at the sky during the eclipse. Even with the clouds, you’ll be able to see some effects (I’ll specifically list those later). Here’s some of the things that you might be able to observe: Look at the ground as totality approaches: The shadows of leaves under a tree will make the shape of the eclipse Alternating dark/light shadow bands The shadow line moving quickly across the landscape right before totality. Look at the Sun: First Contact: The Moon starts to cover the Sun (12:17) Second Contact: The Moon completely covers the Sun (1:35). It...
Today’s topic is: Eclipse Safety. You know not to look at the sun, right? This is even more important during an eclipse. The overall light is decreased, so your pupils will dilate to let in more light. However, since the actual intensity of the sun is undiminished, you will damage your retina even quicker. The retina does not contain pain receptors, so you won’t necessarily feel anything as you destroy your ability to see. It’s called solar retinopathy and there is no cure for severe cases. Now that you’ve been sufficiently warned, there are ways to watch the eclipse safely. Ways to safely observe the sun: Binoculars/telescope with a solar filter (we’ll have the school’s 8 inch refractor on the field, if it’s not raining) Eclipse Glasses* (we have enough for all students and faculty/staff. They’re selling out through other sources, but you might be able to find some online, HEB, or Sonic . Prices are going up, so watch out for scalpers and imitations) Pinhole project...