April 04, 2015

“Blood Moon”
taken by author
with small
telescope and
iPhone camera

Wonders of the Sky

Eclipses

TpT: McNeely, 2016

 Light & Color Classic
• M. Minnaert’s classic
Light and Color in the
Outdoors work is a
comprehensive
discussion of
atmospheric optical
phenomena
• Inspiration for these
lessons

http://www.amazon.com/Light-Color-Outdoors/dp/0387979352
Eclipses
 Types of Eclipses
• Two major types: Solar and lunar
• Solar: Eclipses of the Sun
– Partial
– Total
– Annular
• Lunar: Eclipses of the Moon
– Partial
– Total
 Solar Eclipses
• Eclipses of the Sun
• Alignment: Sun, Moon, Earth (new moon)
• The moon’s shadow covers part of the earth’s
surface
• Last for just a few minutes, total phase often 3-7
minutes
• Types:
– Partial
– Total
– Annular
Eclipse Geometry
 Eclipse Map
• Solar eclipses are
only visible in specific
areas of earth
• Total Eclipse: Visible
in “Path of Totality”
• Partial Eclipses:
Visible in red bands
• On average, any
location will receive a
total eclipse every
400 years
• [Animation]
Moon’s Shadow from Mir, 1999
 Photosphere
• Photosphere: The
sun’s visible “surface”
• A layer of heated gas
• Sunspots are often
visible on the
photosphere
• The photosphere is
covered by the moon
during eclipses
• [current sun]
 Eclipsed Sun’s Outer
Atmospheric Features
• Above the photosphere lies
the chromosphere, a
reddish layer seen briefly
during eclipses
• When the photosphere is
entirely covered, the corona
is visible, and it is the outer
atmosphere of the sun
• Without special equipment,
both are only visible during
total eclipses
 Partial Solar Eclipse
• Occurs when the
sun’s photosphere is
partially covered by
the moon
• Right-Partial eclipse
sequence from San
Francisco
SF Partial Eclipse
Partial Eclipse Phases
 Eclipse Shadows

Above: View of
eclipse through a
telescope, note the
corresponding
shadows (right)
June 1994 Eclipse
 Bailey’s Beads
• Bailey’s Beads
resemble a string of
pearls briefly visible
along the edge of the
eclipsed sun
• Represent sunlight
shining through
valleys on the edge of
the moon’s disk
• Single bright “bead”,
diamond ring effect
 Diamond Ring Effect
Last remaining bit
of sun’s visible
surface before
totality
 Totality
• At totality, the sun is
entirely covered by
the moon’s disk
• The corona, the
sun’s outer
atmosphere,
becomes visible as a
pearly crown
• The sky becomes
dark during totality,
bright stars and
planets are visible
Totality, Awesome
 Chromosphere
• The sun’s visible disk is
the photosphere
• Photosphere visible
through thick clouds or a
filtered telescope
• Chromosphere is a red
atmospheric layer on the
sun just above the
chromosphere
• Chromosphere is only
visible briefly during total
eclipses of the sun or
through expensive solar
filters
 Chromosphere and Prominences
•Prominences represent
large segments of the
chromosphere that can
become detached from
the sun
•Prominences resemble
flame like shapes
•Most prominences are
larger than the earth
Chromosphere & Inner Corona
 Dark Noon
• Totality Sky
– Bright stars and
planets visible
– Horizon glows sunset
colors, “360-Degree
sunset”
– Venus, left of eclipsed
sun
 360-Degree “Sunset”
An all-sky
image during
totality
Note, “sunset”
colors surround
entire horizon
 Eclipse
Montage
• Note partial phases
before and after
totality (center)
• Sun imaged with solar
filter, unfiltered at
totality
 Shadow Bands
• Shimmery affect on
ground noticed right
before start of totality
• Resembles flickering
bands of light
• Best seen on white
surface (sheet)
• Most likely due to bright,
point like light source
(diamond ring) distorted
by atmospheric air flow
Shadow bands, 1870 Italy
Shadow Band Animation
Shadow Band Still Image
 Eclipse Safety
• Caution: • Methods:
– Partial solar eclipses – Eclipse glasses
are not safe to – Filtered telescopes
observe with unaided – Projection
eye
– Total phase of a solar
eclipse can be directly
observed
– Safe Sunwatching
– Note: Eclipses of the
moon are always safe
to observe
Safe-totality

NOT
safe-
partial
eclipses
 Eclipse Glasses
• Made from reflective
Mylar, designed
especially for viewing
the sun
• Don’t use sunglasses,
smoked glass, film
negatives, etc. Not
safe!
Pinhole Projection
 Solar Projection
• Use a telescope to
project the sun’s
image onto a flat
sheet
• Don’t look into the
eyepiece!
 Filtered Telescope
• A solar filtered
telescope provides
the best view of a
partial eclipse
• The solar filter
(arrowed) covers the
front of the telescope
and prevents the
sun’s harmful light
from entering
Again, Jones’s sneaky colleagues aimed the
telescope at the sun…
 Eclipse Videos
• Total Solar Eclipse - Egypt 2006
• Totality Highlights: Total Solar Eclipse
2008: Live from China
• Perfect Eclipse – Mexico, 1991
 Annular Eclipse
• “Ring Eclipse”
• Occurs when moon near
apogee, smallest
apparent disk
• Moon’s disk not large
enough to cover the sun
completely
• Unlike true total eclipses,
not safe to observe
without protection
Eclipse ‘94
Annular Geometry
 Lunar Eclipses
• Eclipses of the moon
• Alignment: Sun, Earth, Moon (full moon)
• The earth’s shadow covers part or all of the
moon’s surface
• About 4 hours for complete eclipse, totality can
last for nearly an hour
• Unlike solar eclipses, entire night side of earth
can witness
• Types:
– Total
– Partial
Lunar Eclipse
 Total Lunar Eclipses
• When eclipsed, the
moon usually appears
red to dark red
• The earth’s shadow
has some light directed
into it by the edge of
earth’s atmosphere
• Similar to red sunset
colors
• Video
Lunar Eclipse Partial Stages
 Eclipse ’04 Diagram
• Earth’s shadow
has two zones,
umbra and
penumbra
• Moon passed
through dark
center of earth’s
shadow (umbra)
during totality
• Partial eclipses
when moon
partly immersed
in umbra
Eclipse ’04: Red Moon
 The edge of
earth’s umbra is
Earth’s Shadow shown in this
montage of a
partial lunar
eclipse
 Lunar Eclipses
• Total: Moon passes
completely into the
earth’s inner shadow
(umbra)
• Partial: Moon passes
partly into the umbra
• Penumbral: Moon
passes only into the
earth’s outer shadow
(penumbra)
A

C
 Partial Eclipses: Impossible Lunar
“Phases”
• The moon’s
regular
phases never
appear like
this and the
following
photos
Partial Lunar Eclipse
 Penumbral Eclipses
• Not as dramatic, more
difficult to see effect
• Penumbra resembles
a slightly darker
shading on one half of
the moon
• Again, moon passes
only through earth’s
outer shadow, not the
darker umbra in
center
 Total Lunar Eclipse Dark Sky
• During a total eclipse of the moon, a
bright, full moon-lit sky becomes much
darker during totality
• Dimmer stars appear, even the Milky Way
and dim celestial objects can be seen
Full Moon Night
 Lunar Eclipse Tetrad: 2014-
2015
• Lunar tetrad: A series
of four consecutive
total lunar eclipses
occurring at six-month
intervals
– April 15, 2014
– October 8, 2014
– April 4, 2015 The eclipses of the 2014-
– September 28, 2015 15 tetrad were termed
“blood moons” in the
• All were visible from popular media based on
passages in the Bible
the United States
 Blood Moon Inspiration
• “the sun will turn into
darkness, and the moon into
blood, before the great and
terrible day of the lord
comes.” Joel 2:31
• Various Christian ministers
saw the lunar tetrad as
confirmation of biblical
prophecy that the world
would end
Next
Eclipses
• Solar
– America, 2017
• Lunar
– Jan, 2018 (Total
Lunar Eclipse)
 The End: Thanks!
• Wonders of the Sky,
available from TpT:
– The Day Sky
– The Sunset Sky
– The Darkening Sky
– The Dark Sky
– Eclipses

http://www.amazon.com/Light-Color-Outdoors/dp/0387979352