Since I’m NOT “Bill Nye, The Science Guy” and was never a strong STEM student, here’s what Wikipedia has to say about the Total Eclipse of Our Heart scheduled for Monday, August 21, 2017.
On Monday, August 21, 2017, a total solar eclipse will be visible in totality within a band across the entire contiguous United States; it will only be visible in other countries as a partial eclipse.[1][2]
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the sun for a viewer on Earth. A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon’s apparent diameter is larger than the sun’s, blocking all direct sunlight, turning day into darkness. Totality occurs in a narrow path across Earth’s surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometers wide.
The last time a total solar eclipse was visible across the entire contiguous United States was during the June 8, 1918 eclipse, and not since the February 1979 eclipse has a total eclipse been visible from the mainland United States.[3] The path of totality will touch 14 states, although a partial eclipse will be visible in all fifty states.[3] The event will begin on the Oregon coast as a partial eclipse at 9:06 a.m. PDT on August 21, and will end later that day as a partial eclipse along the South Carolina coast at about 4:06 p.m. EDT.[3]
There are expected to be logistical issues with the influx of visitors, especially for smaller communities.[4][5] There have also been issues with counterfeit eclipse glasses being sold.[6][7][8]
Future total solar eclipses will cross the United States in April 2024 (12 states) and August 2045 (10 states), and annular solar eclipses — meaning the apparent size of the Moon is smaller than that of the Sun — will occur in October 2023 (9 states) and June 2048 (9 states).
Oregon is expected to be hit with thousands of Eclipse Viewers…traffic is expected to very heavy IN Oregon as well as on highways leading TO Oregon, so if you’re preparing to head that way in the next few days, expect very heavy delays now through Tuesday the 22nd.
Please remember to NOT look directly at the sun EVER and not during the eclipse….you can seriously and permanently damage your eyes. There are “eclipse glasses” you can buy…make sure they are legit!
The Seattle Public Library has run out of eclipse glasses BUT you can watch streaming video of the eclipse in area libraries:
Streaming Video of Solar Eclipse at 14 Library Locations
Beginning at 10 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 21, the following Library locations will show a streaming video of NASA’s Live Eclipse Megacast as the solar eclipse moves across the North American continent.
- Ballard Branch, 5614 22nd Ave. N.W., 206-684-4089
- Beacon Hill Branch, 2821 Beacon Ave. S., 206-684-4711
- Broadview Branch, 12755 Greenwood Ave. N., 206-684-7519
- Capitol Hill Branch, 425 Harvard Ave. E., 206-684-4715
- Central Library, 1000 Fourth Ave., Level 1, Microsoft Auditorium, 206-386-4636
- Columbia Branch, 4721 Rainier Ave. S., 206-386-1908
- Douglass-Truth Branch, 2300 E. Yesler Way, 206-684-4704
- Greenwood Branch, 8016 Greenwood Ave. N., 206-684-4086
- High Point Branch, 3411 S.W. Raymond St., 206-684-7454
- Lake City Branch, 12501 28th Ave. N.E., 206-684-7518
- Northeast Branch, 6801 35th Ave. N.E., 206-684-7539
- Northgate Branch, 10548 Fifth Ave. N.E., 206-386-1980
- Rainier Beach Branch, 9125 Rainier Ave. S., 206-386-1906
- Southwest Branch, 9010 35th Ave. S.W., 206-684-7455
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West Seattle Branch, 2306 42nd Ave. S.W., 206-684-7444
Tags: August 2017 Solar Eclipse, Eclipse Glasses, Seattle Public Library, Solar Eclipse, Solar Eclipse Oregon
