This October’s Solar Eclipse

I know, I’ve been over this before, in May. I might go over it again. It’s that important.

We have a partial solar eclipse coming up in October of this year. Not just any old partial eclipse, an ANNULAR eclipse. You might consider the annular eclipse the total solar eclipse’s little brother or sister. An annular eclipse forms in the same way as a total eclipse, but the Moon is smaller, small enough it cannot fully block our view of the Sun.

You might be thinking, hey, the Moon does not change size, and you would be correct. Its apparent size is smaller or larger depending on its orbit around Earth. The orbit is not quite circular, it is an ellipse, an elongated circle. So, the Moon’s distance varies as it orbits Earth. At its closest, its perigee,  the Moon is 225,623 miles from us. At its farthest, its apogee, the Moon is 252,088 miles away. These distance differences are enough to produce two different kinds of eclipse with the same process. The process: the Moon gets directly between the Sun and Earth. Depending on the Moon’s distance from us, it will either fully block the Sun (total eclipse) or not quite fully block the Sun (annular). An annular eclipse requires safety glasses throughout, even during annularity.

This October 14th an annular solar eclipse will grace a large swath of Texas and folks in the path of annularity will have an opportunity to witness this incredible event. See the attached map to see the best places to be.

OK, that said, I cannot over emphasize the importance of using proper eye protection during the annular eclipse, all of it. The important thing is any glasses or other protection you use, including welder’s #14 glass, needs to be certified, ISO 12312-2.  You will usually have the option for protection with a “white” (actually bluish white) image or an orange-yellow image. Welder’s glasses are typically green, with a bit darker image.

Other options exist beyond safety glasses.  Anything with small holes will project an image of the Sun on the ground or piece of paper/cardboard/wood. I’ve seen colanders used – they project dozens of images. Binoculars will project a magnified image, just don’t be tempted to look into the eyepieces. Certified specialty filters or filter material over the objectives will allow direct viewing with binoculars, telescopes, etc.

There are many, many reputable vendors that sell certified glasses. Here is a partial list, vendors I have used:

  • First, check with your local library.
  • • telescope.com
    • agenaastro.com
    • astronomics.com
    • adorama.com

Amazon can be OK, just make sure the vendor offers certified glasses or other protection.

Within the path of annularity and with protection you will be able to track the eclipse’s progress as the Moon takes a larger and larger bite out of the Sun. The main event – annularity will look spectacular with its “ring of fire”.

What’s in the Sky?

September 3rd –  4th; after 11pm; east: A waning Moon and Jupiter grace the sky.