Eclipse 2017

What an incredible day!  The weather was perfect for witnessing this great event that won't be in our sky again until October 2023!

We left our home at 9:00 this morning and headed for Stephen Avenue Mall.  We unloaded the equipment and setup at the northwest corner of Olympic Plaza.  I would estimate more than a thousand people came to take a look through the telescope.

Amazing Turnout at Olympic Plaza

The Moon started to take a bite out of the Sun at 10:20 and the first glimpse took your breath away.  The Moon was actually moving in front of the Sun for a rare convergence!  A lot of people saw this part of the eclipse and tried to take photographs through the eyepiece with some success.

"The Sun looks like a crescent Moon!"

Just over an hour later the crowd had grown into an excited mob wanting to take in the peak of the eclipse.  80% coverage!

Peak Eclipse from Calgary

The world seemed a little darker and the shadows a little crisper.  Lots of people had their eyes safely to the sky and immersed themselves in the beauty our world can provide.

"It's such a cynical world it's nice to see the awe on people's faces"

The great part of the day was seeing many different people of different races, religion, sexual orientation and age collectively come together and share a moment of joy as they watched the eclipse together.  The world has seemed so full of hate and division that these moments are quite sublime.

"It looks like a fingernail!"

Many more people came to the telescope during the peak time of the eclipse.  You could cross your fingers and see the Moon taking a good chunk of of the Sun on the ground.

Eclipse through the Fingers

Some people even dragged out the colander from their kitchen to project many images of the eclipse onto a screen.

Colander Eclipse Projection

Many noticed the pattern made by the shadows of leaves on the ground was unique for the eclipse.

Eclipse Leaves

After the peak, the Moon started moving off the face of the Sun and prominent sunspots came into view through the telescope.  This region of solar activity was responsible for the aurora this past weekend.

Sunspots during the Eclipse

Many people had a chance to use the eclipse glasses to catch a filtered unmagnified view of the sight up in the sky.  A person who received glasses to view the eclipse indicated:

"That was probably the coolest swag I've ever had."

As the time got closer to 12:50 the feeling that we will not see this in Calgary for another 6 years set in!  Some people who were there from the beginning stayed until the end until the last poke of the Moon was seen on the Sun.  It was a quiet moment with an ethereal sadness permeating the crowd.

Final Moments of Eclipse

We stayed a few minutes past the end of the eclipse to take in the experience we had.  One final picture of the Sun was taken before we trekked back to the parking lot to head for lunch.

The Full Sun

We are looking forward to relaxing and seeing the success of our friends from the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada who traveled to the zone of totality.  The International Space Station even caught an image of the shadow on the surface of the Earth.  This stunning image is shown below.

Shadow of the Moon on Earth (Photo Credit: Twitter @Space_Station)

What a remarkable day.  Thank-you to all who came out to see this great event!  For information about upcoming free, kid friendly events follow us on Twitter and Facebook!  We will be hosting some star nights in South Calgary soon!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/simonjastronomy  (@simonjastronomy)
Facebook: www.facebook.com/simonjastronomy

The Solar Eclipse FAQ #3

The big day is tomorrow and the weather forecast looks great!  Although it is smokey right now we can only hope it clears for the morning!  I want to cover a few last things before the event.

How can I ensure my children are safe?

I discussed this in my previous FAQ post but I believe it needs to be reiterated.  Do not look at the Sun without protection.  If you are using eclipse glasses do not peek around the sides of them.  If you have children using them they must be supervised.  In fact, if you are going to let your children use eclipse glasses I would hold them onto their face to ensure no slippage or peeking.  If you are sharing one pair among your family keep an eye on your children so they do not look at the Sun while you are enjoying the view.  Views with the glasses should be limited to one minute at a time.  Make sure you read the directions printed on the back of the glasses.  Damage to the eyes from the Sun may occur painlessly and you may not notice until the next day when you have irreversible harm.  This is why a lot of schools keep the students inside as they can not monitor them all simultaneously.

I hate to instill fear but the seriousness of this is very important.

For some comic relief here is a cute video that explains the basics of the eclipse at an elementary school level.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cm5gok2zmk

What else should I bring to watch the eclipse?

Here are some suggestions for items that would be good to have while viewing the eclipse.

• Direct solar viewing eye protection
• Regular sunglasses (for when you are not directly viewing the Sun)
• Sun hat
• Sunscreen
• Bug spray
• Water
• Chairs

The Sun will still be as dangerous as it normally is so the same basic precautions should be taken.  The Moon should not be used as a substitute for sunscreen!  Do not use unfiltered cameras on the Sun unless you want to get a terrible photo along with a broken camera.

What are people doing to watch the eclipse?

DIY

I have a friend who built a large projector to safely view the Sun.  An image of his apparatus is shown below.

Solar Projector

The Sun enters the top of the tube through a 3mm hole made in tin foil.  The light from the Sun is projected onto a white plate at the bottom of the tube.  This is shown below.

Projection of the Sun

Drive and Camp

A lot of people I know are actually heading down to the zone of totality.  Idaho seems to be the top spot for most Calgarians.  However, there are a few heading to Oregon and Nebraska.  I hope the sky is clear for all of them.  Hotels are sold out all along the route and have actually been re-booking previous reservations for more than 10x the original value.  As of yesterday there were still camping spots left but, as for traffic, it may be a dice roll if you choose to leave today.

Around Calgary

There are a few events happening around town.  The University of Calgary will have an eclipse centre setup outside of the engineering building on Monday morning.

https://ucalgary.ca/rao/node/2071

The Telus Spark is hosting telescopes and eclipse viewer crafts.

http://www.sparkscience.ca/experience-telus-spark/events/eclipse-party/

I will setup a station at Olympic Plaza with an 8" filtered telescope, some eclipse glasses to borrow and I might try my hand at making a projector!  I do not yet know exactly where we will be at Olympic Plaza as it depends on buildings and trees but will post as soon as I know tomorrow morning.

Nothing

Some people just don't care or don't know.  That makes it our job to tell everyone how great it will be and that it won't happen again for another 6 years!

2017 Week 34: (August 20-26)

The week many astronomers have been waiting for has finally arrived!  There will be a total solar eclipse occurring the morning of Monday August 21!  Let's get the boring stuff out of the way first.  As always the table below showcases what is happening in the sky for the upcoming week.

Date	Event
August 21	New Moon
August 21	Total Solar Eclipse
August 25	Jupiter 3°S of Moon
August 25	Saturn Stationary
August 26	Mercury Inferior Conjunction

Jupiter is starting to get low in the western sky after sunset.  It will be in conjunction with a beautiful waxing crescent Moon this Friday.  It will be a perfect night to take a walk along a ridge that has a great view of the western horizon.

The same night Saturn will finish its retrograde motion (westerly motion) and begin its prograde motion (easterly motion).  Mercury will be at inferior conjunction (between the Earth and Sun) with the Sun next Saturday and will appear in the early morning sky during the following weeks.  This leads up to the best morning apparition of Mercury on September 12.

Monday.  Solar Eclipse.

I had the opportunity to sit down with Global News this morning to discuss this great event.

http://globalnews.ca/video/3680329/watching-the-solar-eclipse-in-calgary

Links to my recent eclipse FAQ can be found below.

Solar Eclipse FAQ #1
Solar Eclipse FAQ #2


We will be downtown at Olympic Plaza with a solar filtered telescope and eclipse glasses.  Currently the Sun is sporting a great cluster of sunspots that will be on full display through the telescope.  Once we find a nice solid spot we will post the location to our Facebook page and Twitter feed.

A few quick facts!

• When viewing the eclipse from Calgary the Sun will be about 80% covered by the Moon.


• The next solar eclipse visible from Calgary will be on October 23, 2023 followed quickly by another on April 8, 2024.


• Mark August 22, 2044 in your calendar.  Calgary will be in the zone of totality and the Sun will be completely blocked by the Moon for 1 minute and 47 seconds.


• For this eclipse, hotels in the US have cancelled $99 rooms booked years in advance and forced people to re-book for more than a thousand dollars.  Rotten!


• I purchased eclipse glasses in April for 85¢ a pair.  I've seen retailers selling them for more than $50 this week.


• The totality for this eclipse will touch only one country -- The United States.  The last time the zone of totality only touched the continental US was July 29, 436 (1581 years ago)!


• The next total solar eclipse anywhere on Earth will be July 2, 2019.  The totality zone will sweep across the lower Pacific and cross into Chile and Argentina.  The zone will cross Chile about 500km North of Santiago and eventually hit the burbs of Buenos Aires about an hour later.  Book your tickets now!

The map below shows the viewing times across Canada.

Canadian Eclipse Map (Photo Credit: The Weather Network)

This will be an exciting event not to be missed.  I hope it inspires lots of kids(and grownups) to develop an interest in astronomy!

The Solar Eclipse FAQ #2

We need to talk about safety.  Eclipse glasses are becoming near impossible to obtain so close to the August 21, 2017 event.

What can I do to see the eclipse if I don't have a personal pair of glasses?

Some retailers or scalpers can be selling eclipse glasses at an incredibly marked up price.  Just recently I saw some glasses I got for 85 cents back in April selling for more than $50.  Some retailers are also providing fakes that are not certified.  How can you know if yours are ok.  Check out the link below.

https://eclipse.aas.org/resources/solar-filters

The glasses we have been giving out from our site are from the top entry on the approved vendor listing (American Paper Optics (Eclipser) / EclipseGlasses.com / 3dglassesonline.com).

Eclipse Glasses

However, if you missed the opportunity to get glasses there is a free solution that only requires raiding your personal recycling bin!

This is what I have done in the past.  Grab a piece of cardboard and put a hole in it approximately the size of a quick stab with a pen.  Make sure the hole is trim around the edges.  Throw a sheet of paper on the ground outside.  Using the cardboard, and without looking at the Sun, angle it towards the Sun placing it so you can see the light through the hole on the sheet of paper.  Move the cardboard closer or further from the sheet of paper for better focus.  The Sun will be projected onto the paper and you'll be able to see the eclipse without even having to face the Sun.

Projection Method

There are also events around town that will have public access to use solar eclipse glasses or filtered telescopes.  The University of Calgary will have a setup near the engineering building.  See the link below for details.

http://www.ucalgary.ca/rao/event/2017-08-21/solar-eclipse-2017

The Telus Spark will also be hosting a variety of events during the time of the eclipse.  A link is also provided below.

http://www.sparkscience.ca/experience-telus-spark/events/eclipse-party/

I will also be hosting a solar filtered telescope and eclipse glasses down at Olympic Plaza from 10-1 for anyone who would like to witness this great event.  Stay tuned to our twitter (@simonjastronomy) or facebook page (www.facebook.com/simonjastronomy) for the exact location the morning of the eclipse.

How can I ensure I am safe?

Some people believe the myth that during an eclipse you have to stay inside because it is dangerous.  The only truth to this myth is that during a solar eclipse most people want to look at the Sun.  It is not any different than any other day except for that desire.  Do not look directly at the Sun on any day.  

Eclipse glasses must be used throughout the entirety of the eclipse as seen from Calgary if you are directly looking at the Sun.  The only time they can be removed is if you are in the totality zone in the United States for the brief 2 minutes the Moon fully covers the Sun.  Do not use them for driving or everyday walking; only for direct solar viewing.

Do not use optical aid with the glasses.  Never use unfiltered binoculars, cameras or telescopes with your eclipse glasses.  They are designed for unaided viewing.  The binoculars, camera or telescope must be properly filtered at the aperture which can not be achieved with eclipse glasses.

NASA has provided a page on eclipse safety for more detailed information below.

https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/safety

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us on our facebook page.  Enjoy the eclipse and be safe!

The Solar Eclipse FAQ #1

An eclipse is a remarkable astronomical event that, even for a casual observer, inspires wonder and reflection to the very core.  The Western Hemisphere will be treated to a great show on August 21 as the Moon passes across the face of the Sun.  Many people throughout the United States will be treated to totality for several minutes.

What exactly is an eclipse?

An eclipse can typically be broken up into two types.  The first type is basically when an astronomical object is in the shadow of another object, such as a lunar eclipse -- The Moon is in the shadow of the Earth.  The second type is when an astronomical object passes in front of another, such as a solar eclipse -- The Moon passes in front of the Sun.

What is the difference between an annular eclipse and a total eclipse?  What makes 2017 so special?

The Earth orbits the sun in an elliptical path and the Moon orbits the Earth in an elliptical path -- they are not circles.  This causes the Sun and Moon to seem slightly larger or smaller depending where we or the Moon are in the orbit.  Think of a supermoon.  These occur when a Full Moon or New Moon is at perigee (closest approach to Earth).  See the image below (2) is the Moon at perigee and (3) is the Earth.

Moon at apogee (1), perigee (2) and the location of the Earth (3)

Also, the Sun is at its closest approach to Earth (perihelion) at the beginning of January and its farthest approach (aphelion) at the beginning of July.

As the Sun and Moon are visually very close to each other in angular size as seen from Earth we could have several situations.  When the Moon and Sun are further away from us (apo-) they will appear smaller.  However when they are closer to us (peri-) they will appear larger.

An annular eclipse occurs when the Moon is visually smaller than the Sun (due to some combination of the New Moon being closer to apogee and the Sun being closer to perihelion).  The Moon will not completely obscure the Sun.  See the image below.

Annular Solar Eclipse

A total eclipse occurs when the Moon is visually larger than the Sun (due to a combination of the New Moon being closer to perigee and the Sun being closer to aphelion).  The Moon will obscure the Sun.  See the image below.

Total Solar Eclipse

August 21, 2017 will be a total solar eclipse.  Aphelion occurs just over 6 weeks prior and the New Moon's perigee is a mere 3 days prior to the eclipse!  Great combination!

There is one other special type of eclipse that occurs around once every 160 years.  A hybrid eclipse is where the Sun and Moon are so very close in size that the eclipse changes from Annular to Total on different locations on the Earth.  The last one was on November 3, 2013 and you'll have to wait until 2172 for the next one!

The most common solar eclipse for everyone is the Partial Eclipse.  You are not in the zone of totality and will only see the Moon partially obscure the Sun.  Calgary will have 4 of these in the 2020's.  Mark your calendars for the evening of August 22, 2044!  Calgary will have a total solar eclipse!

Explore the Universe - M31 (Andromeda Galaxy)

The Perseid Meteor Shower was in full swing and I setup the 8" telescope at the northeast baseball diamond outside of the Indus Recreation Centre.  This region was especially good for the northeast sky that is typically blocked in my backyard.

Andromeda (the constellation) was midway up the sky and I took the opportunity to locate the Andromeda galaxy.  In dark skies you can actually see the galaxy as a fuzzy patch below Cassiopeia with your naked eye.  Last November I took a picture of the galaxy from my backyard.  Unfortunately it was before I learned autoguiding and the light pollution limited my exposure time.  I am hoping to attempt it again this Fall and image the spiral arms with a wide field refractor.

M31 - Andromeda Galaxy

The Andromeda Galaxy is about 2.5 million light years away from us and is the furthest object in the sky we can see with our naked eye.  At 220,000 light years it is about twice the diameter of our home galaxy the Milky Way.  It is also estimated that there are more than a trillion stars that make up this galaxy.  Much like the Milky Way, it is a spiral galaxy and sits in the same local group as our own.

Andromeda is moving toward us at an astronomical snail's pace of 225km/s and will collide with us in about 4 billion years.  Will our solar system survive the collision? 

The observation record from Friday evening is shown below.

M31 - Andromeda Galaxy Observation Record

The previous blog post has a map and describes how you can see the galaxy from your favourite dark site: Week 33 (August 13-19).

It is now less than a week until the solar eclipse!  The forecast for August 21, such that it is 6 days out, is predicting a sunny day!  We will likely setup at Olympic Plaza with a solar filtered telescope for anyone in the downtown crowd to view.

2017 Week 33: (August 13-19)

We are now in the middle of August and the great eclipse is just over a week away!  If you do not have your eclipse glasses yet please send a message to our Facebook page to grab a pair for your family!

Date	Event
August 14	Last Quarter
August 16	Aldebaran 0.4°S of Moon
August 18	Venus 2°N of Moon

There is not too much happening in the sky leading up to the eclipse but the Moon does a dance with several objects throughout the week.  The Moon will reach last quarter on Monday and be visible in the early morning.  On Wednesday, it will be very close to Taurus' angry red eye -- Aldebaran and will actually occult it in several areas around the world.  Later in the week it will dance with Venus if you can catch it around 5 in the morning on the 19th.

The Moon will be new the following Monday as it passes across the face of the Sun.  With properly certified eclipse glasses you will be able to see this phenomenon from Calgary.  Assuming no clouds or smoke you will see the Moon take an 80% chunk out of the Sun around 11:33am.

There are some other fun things in the sky at this time of year.  The Summer Triangle asterism will be right above your head as it gets dark in the evening.  Look for a triangle of three bright stars.  They are Vega, Deneb and Altair which sit high in the sky in Summer.  If you are at a dark site you will see the Milky Way go right through this triangle; a remarkable thing to behold.

Cassiopeia and Andromeda are accessible in the northeastern sky and if you have good eyes and a dark location you can see the Andromeda Galaxy without optical aid.  The pointier part of the 'W' of Cassiopeia should point right to it.  See the map below.

M31 - Andromeda Galaxy

Also, you may still catch some Perseid meteors as the shower starts to fizzle out from the weekend peak.  Keep your eyes peeled to the northeast!