A New Observer's Guide To The August 21st Solar Eclipse

NOTE: This lecture will happen right before the eclipse and during the opening of the Jamesville Library (the facility doesn't even exist on the map yet). Will hopefully be a busy day!

The total solar eclipse on August 21st will be the first of its kind across the continental United States since 1979. While New York observers will not see total coverage of the Sun, we will see the Moon cover over 70% of it. In preparation for the event, this lecture will cover a wide range of eclipse-related topics. We'll see how the arrangement and motions of the Sun, Earth, and Moon produce solar and lunar eclipses - and we'll see why they don't occur more often. Eclipses have played some unique rolls in history as well, and we'll take a look at a few of those in the context of world history and physics. Finally, attendees will learn how to safely observe a solar eclipse, as well as do some observing of the sun (weather permitting) with solar glasses (you can keep!) and solar telescopes.

For more information about the solar eclipse and other CNYO events, see http://www.cnyo.org/2017/07/11/the-august-21st-solar-eclipse-from-centralupstate-ny-scheduled-lectures-and-observing/