03/27/2024
By Brooke Coupal
The US mainland is ready to witness a rare phenomenon that received’t happen once more for one more 20 years.
On April 8, a complete photo voltaic eclipse will make its manner from central Texas to northern Maine, with a partial photo voltaic eclipse viewable from dozens of states, together with Massachusetts.
In preparation for the large occasion, we sat down with Physics Assoc. Prof. Silas Laycock to be taught extra about photo voltaic eclipses.
Q: What’s a photo voltaic eclipse?
A: It’s when the moon goes between the Earth and the solar, due to this fact obscuring our view of the solar.
Q: How do scientists predict when a photo voltaic eclipse will happen?
A: In historical occasions, folks predicted eclipses just by utilizing patterns of numbers. Many historical cultures seen a sample of when photo voltaic eclipses occurred and that the cycle repeated itself completely. By making information of when photo voltaic and lunar eclipses occurred, it was attainable for folks to exactly predict eclipses even earlier than gravity and orbital mechanics have been understood. These days, we use orbital mechanics to calculate when completely different alignments will happen. Orbital mechanics calculations are made utilizing pc fashions of the positions of the Earth, solar and moon. We are able to calculate the trail that the moon will take when it crosses the solar and in the end monitor which places on Earth will see a complete eclipse, a partial eclipse or no eclipse.
Q: How usually do photo voltaic eclipses occur?
A: Whole photo voltaic eclipses hardly ever happen. You’ll assume the solar, the moon and the Earth would all line up as soon as a month as a result of the moon orbits the Earth and the Earth orbits the solar, however the orbital planes don’t completely coincide with each other. The moon’s orbital airplane is tilted by a slight quantity, stopping us from having month-to-month eclipses. The subsequent complete photo voltaic eclipse for the continental U.S. (after the 2024 eclipse) received’t occur till 2044, as a result of that’s the time it is going to take for the moon’s orbital airplane to return to being lined up with the photo voltaic system once more.
Q: You’ve seen a photo voltaic eclipse earlier than. What was that like?
A: The primary complete photo voltaic eclipse I noticed was in 2017. I traveled to Idaho for an American Astronomical Society convention to observe that one. It was spectacular. All people introduced all types of telescopes, together with me, however when totality got here, I pulled myself away from the tools, laid on my again and simply watched it. It was such a tremendous sight. (Try the following tips for secure viewing of the eclipse.)
As an eclipse approaches totality, there’s a extremely fascinating phenomenon that happens, generally known as the diamond ring impact, the place it seems to the attention {that a} sensible blaze of sunshine is coming from one spot on the moon simply earlier than the final little bit of solar is roofed. One other fascinating phenomenon is known as Baily’s beads, which is an impact the place there’s a entire bunch of little shiny spots across the rim of the moon, which are literally the solar shining by means of the valleys and hills on the moon’s floor. It is advisable to go to the trail of totality to see these results, which for this eclipse, contains the tip of New Hampshire, northern Maine and northern Vermont.
Q: Will folks have the ability to see this 12 months’s photo voltaic eclipse at UMass Lowell?
A: UMass Lowell’s campus will see 94% of the photo voltaic eclipse, making it a partial eclipse. The eclipse will begin turning into seen round 2:15 p.m. That’s once you’ll discover the rim of the moon beginning to encroach on the sting of the solar whereas wanting on the solar along with your photo voltaic glasses. By about 3:30 p.m., we’ll attain the deepest level of the eclipse, with just a bit crescent of the solar remaining. It will likely be noticeably darker with a lot of the solar coated up. The eclipse will finish simply after 4:30 p.m.
Q: What photo voltaic eclipse viewing occasions are happening at UMass Lowell?
A: The Kennedy School of Sciences dean’s workplace is handing out free eclipse glasses and will likely be internet hosting an eclipse viewing social gathering on the rooftop of the North Campus Parking Storage. On the Schueller Observatory on South Campus, we’ll have the dome open with a photo voltaic filter on the telescope, so folks can are available in and look by means of the telescope because the eclipse progresses. The Astronomy Membership may even arrange different photo voltaic telescopes on the South Campus quad and be handing out extra glasses. Hopefully, the climate will cooperate.
03/27/2024
By Brooke Coupal
The US mainland is ready to witness a rare phenomenon that received’t happen once more for one more 20 years.
On April 8, a complete photo voltaic eclipse will make its manner from central Texas to northern Maine, with a partial photo voltaic eclipse viewable from dozens of states, together with Massachusetts.
In preparation for the large occasion, we sat down with Physics Assoc. Prof. Silas Laycock to be taught extra about photo voltaic eclipses.
Q: What’s a photo voltaic eclipse?
A: It’s when the moon goes between the Earth and the solar, due to this fact obscuring our view of the solar.
Q: How do scientists predict when a photo voltaic eclipse will happen?
A: In historical occasions, folks predicted eclipses just by utilizing patterns of numbers. Many historical cultures seen a sample of when photo voltaic eclipses occurred and that the cycle repeated itself completely. By making information of when photo voltaic and lunar eclipses occurred, it was attainable for folks to exactly predict eclipses even earlier than gravity and orbital mechanics have been understood. These days, we use orbital mechanics to calculate when completely different alignments will happen. Orbital mechanics calculations are made utilizing pc fashions of the positions of the Earth, solar and moon. We are able to calculate the trail that the moon will take when it crosses the solar and in the end monitor which places on Earth will see a complete eclipse, a partial eclipse or no eclipse.
Q: How usually do photo voltaic eclipses occur?
A: Whole photo voltaic eclipses hardly ever happen. You’ll assume the solar, the moon and the Earth would all line up as soon as a month as a result of the moon orbits the Earth and the Earth orbits the solar, however the orbital planes don’t completely coincide with each other. The moon’s orbital airplane is tilted by a slight quantity, stopping us from having month-to-month eclipses. The subsequent complete photo voltaic eclipse for the continental U.S. (after the 2024 eclipse) received’t occur till 2044, as a result of that’s the time it is going to take for the moon’s orbital airplane to return to being lined up with the photo voltaic system once more.
Q: You’ve seen a photo voltaic eclipse earlier than. What was that like?
A: The primary complete photo voltaic eclipse I noticed was in 2017. I traveled to Idaho for an American Astronomical Society convention to observe that one. It was spectacular. All people introduced all types of telescopes, together with me, however when totality got here, I pulled myself away from the tools, laid on my again and simply watched it. It was such a tremendous sight. (Try the following tips for secure viewing of the eclipse.)
As an eclipse approaches totality, there’s a extremely fascinating phenomenon that happens, generally known as the diamond ring impact, the place it seems to the attention {that a} sensible blaze of sunshine is coming from one spot on the moon simply earlier than the final little bit of solar is roofed. One other fascinating phenomenon is known as Baily’s beads, which is an impact the place there’s a entire bunch of little shiny spots across the rim of the moon, which are literally the solar shining by means of the valleys and hills on the moon’s floor. It is advisable to go to the trail of totality to see these results, which for this eclipse, contains the tip of New Hampshire, northern Maine and northern Vermont.
Q: Will folks have the ability to see this 12 months’s photo voltaic eclipse at UMass Lowell?
A: UMass Lowell’s campus will see 94% of the photo voltaic eclipse, making it a partial eclipse. The eclipse will begin turning into seen round 2:15 p.m. That’s once you’ll discover the rim of the moon beginning to encroach on the sting of the solar whereas wanting on the solar along with your photo voltaic glasses. By about 3:30 p.m., we’ll attain the deepest level of the eclipse, with just a bit crescent of the solar remaining. It will likely be noticeably darker with a lot of the solar coated up. The eclipse will finish simply after 4:30 p.m.
Q: What photo voltaic eclipse viewing occasions are happening at UMass Lowell?
A: The Kennedy School of Sciences dean’s workplace is handing out free eclipse glasses and will likely be internet hosting an eclipse viewing social gathering on the rooftop of the North Campus Parking Storage. On the Schueller Observatory on South Campus, we’ll have the dome open with a photo voltaic filter on the telescope, so folks can are available in and look by means of the telescope because the eclipse progresses. The Astronomy Membership may even arrange different photo voltaic telescopes on the South Campus quad and be handing out extra glasses. Hopefully, the climate will cooperate.
03/27/2024
By Brooke Coupal
The US mainland is ready to witness a rare phenomenon that received’t happen once more for one more 20 years.
On April 8, a complete photo voltaic eclipse will make its manner from central Texas to northern Maine, with a partial photo voltaic eclipse viewable from dozens of states, together with Massachusetts.
In preparation for the large occasion, we sat down with Physics Assoc. Prof. Silas Laycock to be taught extra about photo voltaic eclipses.
Q: What’s a photo voltaic eclipse?
A: It’s when the moon goes between the Earth and the solar, due to this fact obscuring our view of the solar.
Q: How do scientists predict when a photo voltaic eclipse will happen?
A: In historical occasions, folks predicted eclipses just by utilizing patterns of numbers. Many historical cultures seen a sample of when photo voltaic eclipses occurred and that the cycle repeated itself completely. By making information of when photo voltaic and lunar eclipses occurred, it was attainable for folks to exactly predict eclipses even earlier than gravity and orbital mechanics have been understood. These days, we use orbital mechanics to calculate when completely different alignments will happen. Orbital mechanics calculations are made utilizing pc fashions of the positions of the Earth, solar and moon. We are able to calculate the trail that the moon will take when it crosses the solar and in the end monitor which places on Earth will see a complete eclipse, a partial eclipse or no eclipse.
Q: How usually do photo voltaic eclipses occur?
A: Whole photo voltaic eclipses hardly ever happen. You’ll assume the solar, the moon and the Earth would all line up as soon as a month as a result of the moon orbits the Earth and the Earth orbits the solar, however the orbital planes don’t completely coincide with each other. The moon’s orbital airplane is tilted by a slight quantity, stopping us from having month-to-month eclipses. The subsequent complete photo voltaic eclipse for the continental U.S. (after the 2024 eclipse) received’t occur till 2044, as a result of that’s the time it is going to take for the moon’s orbital airplane to return to being lined up with the photo voltaic system once more.
Q: You’ve seen a photo voltaic eclipse earlier than. What was that like?
A: The primary complete photo voltaic eclipse I noticed was in 2017. I traveled to Idaho for an American Astronomical Society convention to observe that one. It was spectacular. All people introduced all types of telescopes, together with me, however when totality got here, I pulled myself away from the tools, laid on my again and simply watched it. It was such a tremendous sight. (Try the following tips for secure viewing of the eclipse.)
As an eclipse approaches totality, there’s a extremely fascinating phenomenon that happens, generally known as the diamond ring impact, the place it seems to the attention {that a} sensible blaze of sunshine is coming from one spot on the moon simply earlier than the final little bit of solar is roofed. One other fascinating phenomenon is known as Baily’s beads, which is an impact the place there’s a entire bunch of little shiny spots across the rim of the moon, which are literally the solar shining by means of the valleys and hills on the moon’s floor. It is advisable to go to the trail of totality to see these results, which for this eclipse, contains the tip of New Hampshire, northern Maine and northern Vermont.
Q: Will folks have the ability to see this 12 months’s photo voltaic eclipse at UMass Lowell?
A: UMass Lowell’s campus will see 94% of the photo voltaic eclipse, making it a partial eclipse. The eclipse will begin turning into seen round 2:15 p.m. That’s once you’ll discover the rim of the moon beginning to encroach on the sting of the solar whereas wanting on the solar along with your photo voltaic glasses. By about 3:30 p.m., we’ll attain the deepest level of the eclipse, with just a bit crescent of the solar remaining. It will likely be noticeably darker with a lot of the solar coated up. The eclipse will finish simply after 4:30 p.m.
Q: What photo voltaic eclipse viewing occasions are happening at UMass Lowell?
A: The Kennedy School of Sciences dean’s workplace is handing out free eclipse glasses and will likely be internet hosting an eclipse viewing social gathering on the rooftop of the North Campus Parking Storage. On the Schueller Observatory on South Campus, we’ll have the dome open with a photo voltaic filter on the telescope, so folks can are available in and look by means of the telescope because the eclipse progresses. The Astronomy Membership may even arrange different photo voltaic telescopes on the South Campus quad and be handing out extra glasses. Hopefully, the climate will cooperate.
03/27/2024
By Brooke Coupal
The US mainland is ready to witness a rare phenomenon that received’t happen once more for one more 20 years.
On April 8, a complete photo voltaic eclipse will make its manner from central Texas to northern Maine, with a partial photo voltaic eclipse viewable from dozens of states, together with Massachusetts.
In preparation for the large occasion, we sat down with Physics Assoc. Prof. Silas Laycock to be taught extra about photo voltaic eclipses.
Q: What’s a photo voltaic eclipse?
A: It’s when the moon goes between the Earth and the solar, due to this fact obscuring our view of the solar.
Q: How do scientists predict when a photo voltaic eclipse will happen?
A: In historical occasions, folks predicted eclipses just by utilizing patterns of numbers. Many historical cultures seen a sample of when photo voltaic eclipses occurred and that the cycle repeated itself completely. By making information of when photo voltaic and lunar eclipses occurred, it was attainable for folks to exactly predict eclipses even earlier than gravity and orbital mechanics have been understood. These days, we use orbital mechanics to calculate when completely different alignments will happen. Orbital mechanics calculations are made utilizing pc fashions of the positions of the Earth, solar and moon. We are able to calculate the trail that the moon will take when it crosses the solar and in the end monitor which places on Earth will see a complete eclipse, a partial eclipse or no eclipse.
Q: How usually do photo voltaic eclipses occur?
A: Whole photo voltaic eclipses hardly ever happen. You’ll assume the solar, the moon and the Earth would all line up as soon as a month as a result of the moon orbits the Earth and the Earth orbits the solar, however the orbital planes don’t completely coincide with each other. The moon’s orbital airplane is tilted by a slight quantity, stopping us from having month-to-month eclipses. The subsequent complete photo voltaic eclipse for the continental U.S. (after the 2024 eclipse) received’t occur till 2044, as a result of that’s the time it is going to take for the moon’s orbital airplane to return to being lined up with the photo voltaic system once more.
Q: You’ve seen a photo voltaic eclipse earlier than. What was that like?
A: The primary complete photo voltaic eclipse I noticed was in 2017. I traveled to Idaho for an American Astronomical Society convention to observe that one. It was spectacular. All people introduced all types of telescopes, together with me, however when totality got here, I pulled myself away from the tools, laid on my again and simply watched it. It was such a tremendous sight. (Try the following tips for secure viewing of the eclipse.)
As an eclipse approaches totality, there’s a extremely fascinating phenomenon that happens, generally known as the diamond ring impact, the place it seems to the attention {that a} sensible blaze of sunshine is coming from one spot on the moon simply earlier than the final little bit of solar is roofed. One other fascinating phenomenon is known as Baily’s beads, which is an impact the place there’s a entire bunch of little shiny spots across the rim of the moon, which are literally the solar shining by means of the valleys and hills on the moon’s floor. It is advisable to go to the trail of totality to see these results, which for this eclipse, contains the tip of New Hampshire, northern Maine and northern Vermont.
Q: Will folks have the ability to see this 12 months’s photo voltaic eclipse at UMass Lowell?
A: UMass Lowell’s campus will see 94% of the photo voltaic eclipse, making it a partial eclipse. The eclipse will begin turning into seen round 2:15 p.m. That’s once you’ll discover the rim of the moon beginning to encroach on the sting of the solar whereas wanting on the solar along with your photo voltaic glasses. By about 3:30 p.m., we’ll attain the deepest level of the eclipse, with just a bit crescent of the solar remaining. It will likely be noticeably darker with a lot of the solar coated up. The eclipse will finish simply after 4:30 p.m.
Q: What photo voltaic eclipse viewing occasions are happening at UMass Lowell?
A: The Kennedy School of Sciences dean’s workplace is handing out free eclipse glasses and will likely be internet hosting an eclipse viewing social gathering on the rooftop of the North Campus Parking Storage. On the Schueller Observatory on South Campus, we’ll have the dome open with a photo voltaic filter on the telescope, so folks can are available in and look by means of the telescope because the eclipse progresses. The Astronomy Membership may even arrange different photo voltaic telescopes on the South Campus quad and be handing out extra glasses. Hopefully, the climate will cooperate.
03/27/2024
By Brooke Coupal
The US mainland is ready to witness a rare phenomenon that received’t happen once more for one more 20 years.
On April 8, a complete photo voltaic eclipse will make its manner from central Texas to northern Maine, with a partial photo voltaic eclipse viewable from dozens of states, together with Massachusetts.
In preparation for the large occasion, we sat down with Physics Assoc. Prof. Silas Laycock to be taught extra about photo voltaic eclipses.
Q: What’s a photo voltaic eclipse?
A: It’s when the moon goes between the Earth and the solar, due to this fact obscuring our view of the solar.
Q: How do scientists predict when a photo voltaic eclipse will happen?
A: In historical occasions, folks predicted eclipses just by utilizing patterns of numbers. Many historical cultures seen a sample of when photo voltaic eclipses occurred and that the cycle repeated itself completely. By making information of when photo voltaic and lunar eclipses occurred, it was attainable for folks to exactly predict eclipses even earlier than gravity and orbital mechanics have been understood. These days, we use orbital mechanics to calculate when completely different alignments will happen. Orbital mechanics calculations are made utilizing pc fashions of the positions of the Earth, solar and moon. We are able to calculate the trail that the moon will take when it crosses the solar and in the end monitor which places on Earth will see a complete eclipse, a partial eclipse or no eclipse.
Q: How usually do photo voltaic eclipses occur?
A: Whole photo voltaic eclipses hardly ever happen. You’ll assume the solar, the moon and the Earth would all line up as soon as a month as a result of the moon orbits the Earth and the Earth orbits the solar, however the orbital planes don’t completely coincide with each other. The moon’s orbital airplane is tilted by a slight quantity, stopping us from having month-to-month eclipses. The subsequent complete photo voltaic eclipse for the continental U.S. (after the 2024 eclipse) received’t occur till 2044, as a result of that’s the time it is going to take for the moon’s orbital airplane to return to being lined up with the photo voltaic system once more.
Q: You’ve seen a photo voltaic eclipse earlier than. What was that like?
A: The primary complete photo voltaic eclipse I noticed was in 2017. I traveled to Idaho for an American Astronomical Society convention to observe that one. It was spectacular. All people introduced all types of telescopes, together with me, however when totality got here, I pulled myself away from the tools, laid on my again and simply watched it. It was such a tremendous sight. (Try the following tips for secure viewing of the eclipse.)
As an eclipse approaches totality, there’s a extremely fascinating phenomenon that happens, generally known as the diamond ring impact, the place it seems to the attention {that a} sensible blaze of sunshine is coming from one spot on the moon simply earlier than the final little bit of solar is roofed. One other fascinating phenomenon is known as Baily’s beads, which is an impact the place there’s a entire bunch of little shiny spots across the rim of the moon, which are literally the solar shining by means of the valleys and hills on the moon’s floor. It is advisable to go to the trail of totality to see these results, which for this eclipse, contains the tip of New Hampshire, northern Maine and northern Vermont.
Q: Will folks have the ability to see this 12 months’s photo voltaic eclipse at UMass Lowell?
A: UMass Lowell’s campus will see 94% of the photo voltaic eclipse, making it a partial eclipse. The eclipse will begin turning into seen round 2:15 p.m. That’s once you’ll discover the rim of the moon beginning to encroach on the sting of the solar whereas wanting on the solar along with your photo voltaic glasses. By about 3:30 p.m., we’ll attain the deepest level of the eclipse, with just a bit crescent of the solar remaining. It will likely be noticeably darker with a lot of the solar coated up. The eclipse will finish simply after 4:30 p.m.
Q: What photo voltaic eclipse viewing occasions are happening at UMass Lowell?
A: The Kennedy School of Sciences dean’s workplace is handing out free eclipse glasses and will likely be internet hosting an eclipse viewing social gathering on the rooftop of the North Campus Parking Storage. On the Schueller Observatory on South Campus, we’ll have the dome open with a photo voltaic filter on the telescope, so folks can are available in and look by means of the telescope because the eclipse progresses. The Astronomy Membership may even arrange different photo voltaic telescopes on the South Campus quad and be handing out extra glasses. Hopefully, the climate will cooperate.
03/27/2024
By Brooke Coupal
The US mainland is ready to witness a rare phenomenon that received’t happen once more for one more 20 years.
On April 8, a complete photo voltaic eclipse will make its manner from central Texas to northern Maine, with a partial photo voltaic eclipse viewable from dozens of states, together with Massachusetts.
In preparation for the large occasion, we sat down with Physics Assoc. Prof. Silas Laycock to be taught extra about photo voltaic eclipses.
Q: What’s a photo voltaic eclipse?
A: It’s when the moon goes between the Earth and the solar, due to this fact obscuring our view of the solar.
Q: How do scientists predict when a photo voltaic eclipse will happen?
A: In historical occasions, folks predicted eclipses just by utilizing patterns of numbers. Many historical cultures seen a sample of when photo voltaic eclipses occurred and that the cycle repeated itself completely. By making information of when photo voltaic and lunar eclipses occurred, it was attainable for folks to exactly predict eclipses even earlier than gravity and orbital mechanics have been understood. These days, we use orbital mechanics to calculate when completely different alignments will happen. Orbital mechanics calculations are made utilizing pc fashions of the positions of the Earth, solar and moon. We are able to calculate the trail that the moon will take when it crosses the solar and in the end monitor which places on Earth will see a complete eclipse, a partial eclipse or no eclipse.
Q: How usually do photo voltaic eclipses occur?
A: Whole photo voltaic eclipses hardly ever happen. You’ll assume the solar, the moon and the Earth would all line up as soon as a month as a result of the moon orbits the Earth and the Earth orbits the solar, however the orbital planes don’t completely coincide with each other. The moon’s orbital airplane is tilted by a slight quantity, stopping us from having month-to-month eclipses. The subsequent complete photo voltaic eclipse for the continental U.S. (after the 2024 eclipse) received’t occur till 2044, as a result of that’s the time it is going to take for the moon’s orbital airplane to return to being lined up with the photo voltaic system once more.
Q: You’ve seen a photo voltaic eclipse earlier than. What was that like?
A: The primary complete photo voltaic eclipse I noticed was in 2017. I traveled to Idaho for an American Astronomical Society convention to observe that one. It was spectacular. All people introduced all types of telescopes, together with me, however when totality got here, I pulled myself away from the tools, laid on my again and simply watched it. It was such a tremendous sight. (Try the following tips for secure viewing of the eclipse.)
As an eclipse approaches totality, there’s a extremely fascinating phenomenon that happens, generally known as the diamond ring impact, the place it seems to the attention {that a} sensible blaze of sunshine is coming from one spot on the moon simply earlier than the final little bit of solar is roofed. One other fascinating phenomenon is known as Baily’s beads, which is an impact the place there’s a entire bunch of little shiny spots across the rim of the moon, which are literally the solar shining by means of the valleys and hills on the moon’s floor. It is advisable to go to the trail of totality to see these results, which for this eclipse, contains the tip of New Hampshire, northern Maine and northern Vermont.
Q: Will folks have the ability to see this 12 months’s photo voltaic eclipse at UMass Lowell?
A: UMass Lowell’s campus will see 94% of the photo voltaic eclipse, making it a partial eclipse. The eclipse will begin turning into seen round 2:15 p.m. That’s once you’ll discover the rim of the moon beginning to encroach on the sting of the solar whereas wanting on the solar along with your photo voltaic glasses. By about 3:30 p.m., we’ll attain the deepest level of the eclipse, with just a bit crescent of the solar remaining. It will likely be noticeably darker with a lot of the solar coated up. The eclipse will finish simply after 4:30 p.m.
Q: What photo voltaic eclipse viewing occasions are happening at UMass Lowell?
A: The Kennedy School of Sciences dean’s workplace is handing out free eclipse glasses and will likely be internet hosting an eclipse viewing social gathering on the rooftop of the North Campus Parking Storage. On the Schueller Observatory on South Campus, we’ll have the dome open with a photo voltaic filter on the telescope, so folks can are available in and look by means of the telescope because the eclipse progresses. The Astronomy Membership may even arrange different photo voltaic telescopes on the South Campus quad and be handing out extra glasses. Hopefully, the climate will cooperate.
03/27/2024
By Brooke Coupal
The US mainland is ready to witness a rare phenomenon that received’t happen once more for one more 20 years.
On April 8, a complete photo voltaic eclipse will make its manner from central Texas to northern Maine, with a partial photo voltaic eclipse viewable from dozens of states, together with Massachusetts.
In preparation for the large occasion, we sat down with Physics Assoc. Prof. Silas Laycock to be taught extra about photo voltaic eclipses.
Q: What’s a photo voltaic eclipse?
A: It’s when the moon goes between the Earth and the solar, due to this fact obscuring our view of the solar.
Q: How do scientists predict when a photo voltaic eclipse will happen?
A: In historical occasions, folks predicted eclipses just by utilizing patterns of numbers. Many historical cultures seen a sample of when photo voltaic eclipses occurred and that the cycle repeated itself completely. By making information of when photo voltaic and lunar eclipses occurred, it was attainable for folks to exactly predict eclipses even earlier than gravity and orbital mechanics have been understood. These days, we use orbital mechanics to calculate when completely different alignments will happen. Orbital mechanics calculations are made utilizing pc fashions of the positions of the Earth, solar and moon. We are able to calculate the trail that the moon will take when it crosses the solar and in the end monitor which places on Earth will see a complete eclipse, a partial eclipse or no eclipse.
Q: How usually do photo voltaic eclipses occur?
A: Whole photo voltaic eclipses hardly ever happen. You’ll assume the solar, the moon and the Earth would all line up as soon as a month as a result of the moon orbits the Earth and the Earth orbits the solar, however the orbital planes don’t completely coincide with each other. The moon’s orbital airplane is tilted by a slight quantity, stopping us from having month-to-month eclipses. The subsequent complete photo voltaic eclipse for the continental U.S. (after the 2024 eclipse) received’t occur till 2044, as a result of that’s the time it is going to take for the moon’s orbital airplane to return to being lined up with the photo voltaic system once more.
Q: You’ve seen a photo voltaic eclipse earlier than. What was that like?
A: The primary complete photo voltaic eclipse I noticed was in 2017. I traveled to Idaho for an American Astronomical Society convention to observe that one. It was spectacular. All people introduced all types of telescopes, together with me, however when totality got here, I pulled myself away from the tools, laid on my again and simply watched it. It was such a tremendous sight. (Try the following tips for secure viewing of the eclipse.)
As an eclipse approaches totality, there’s a extremely fascinating phenomenon that happens, generally known as the diamond ring impact, the place it seems to the attention {that a} sensible blaze of sunshine is coming from one spot on the moon simply earlier than the final little bit of solar is roofed. One other fascinating phenomenon is known as Baily’s beads, which is an impact the place there’s a entire bunch of little shiny spots across the rim of the moon, which are literally the solar shining by means of the valleys and hills on the moon’s floor. It is advisable to go to the trail of totality to see these results, which for this eclipse, contains the tip of New Hampshire, northern Maine and northern Vermont.
Q: Will folks have the ability to see this 12 months’s photo voltaic eclipse at UMass Lowell?
A: UMass Lowell’s campus will see 94% of the photo voltaic eclipse, making it a partial eclipse. The eclipse will begin turning into seen round 2:15 p.m. That’s once you’ll discover the rim of the moon beginning to encroach on the sting of the solar whereas wanting on the solar along with your photo voltaic glasses. By about 3:30 p.m., we’ll attain the deepest level of the eclipse, with just a bit crescent of the solar remaining. It will likely be noticeably darker with a lot of the solar coated up. The eclipse will finish simply after 4:30 p.m.
Q: What photo voltaic eclipse viewing occasions are happening at UMass Lowell?
A: The Kennedy School of Sciences dean’s workplace is handing out free eclipse glasses and will likely be internet hosting an eclipse viewing social gathering on the rooftop of the North Campus Parking Storage. On the Schueller Observatory on South Campus, we’ll have the dome open with a photo voltaic filter on the telescope, so folks can are available in and look by means of the telescope because the eclipse progresses. The Astronomy Membership may even arrange different photo voltaic telescopes on the South Campus quad and be handing out extra glasses. Hopefully, the climate will cooperate.
03/27/2024
By Brooke Coupal
The US mainland is ready to witness a rare phenomenon that received’t happen once more for one more 20 years.
On April 8, a complete photo voltaic eclipse will make its manner from central Texas to northern Maine, with a partial photo voltaic eclipse viewable from dozens of states, together with Massachusetts.
In preparation for the large occasion, we sat down with Physics Assoc. Prof. Silas Laycock to be taught extra about photo voltaic eclipses.
Q: What’s a photo voltaic eclipse?
A: It’s when the moon goes between the Earth and the solar, due to this fact obscuring our view of the solar.
Q: How do scientists predict when a photo voltaic eclipse will happen?
A: In historical occasions, folks predicted eclipses just by utilizing patterns of numbers. Many historical cultures seen a sample of when photo voltaic eclipses occurred and that the cycle repeated itself completely. By making information of when photo voltaic and lunar eclipses occurred, it was attainable for folks to exactly predict eclipses even earlier than gravity and orbital mechanics have been understood. These days, we use orbital mechanics to calculate when completely different alignments will happen. Orbital mechanics calculations are made utilizing pc fashions of the positions of the Earth, solar and moon. We are able to calculate the trail that the moon will take when it crosses the solar and in the end monitor which places on Earth will see a complete eclipse, a partial eclipse or no eclipse.
Q: How usually do photo voltaic eclipses occur?
A: Whole photo voltaic eclipses hardly ever happen. You’ll assume the solar, the moon and the Earth would all line up as soon as a month as a result of the moon orbits the Earth and the Earth orbits the solar, however the orbital planes don’t completely coincide with each other. The moon’s orbital airplane is tilted by a slight quantity, stopping us from having month-to-month eclipses. The subsequent complete photo voltaic eclipse for the continental U.S. (after the 2024 eclipse) received’t occur till 2044, as a result of that’s the time it is going to take for the moon’s orbital airplane to return to being lined up with the photo voltaic system once more.
Q: You’ve seen a photo voltaic eclipse earlier than. What was that like?
A: The primary complete photo voltaic eclipse I noticed was in 2017. I traveled to Idaho for an American Astronomical Society convention to observe that one. It was spectacular. All people introduced all types of telescopes, together with me, however when totality got here, I pulled myself away from the tools, laid on my again and simply watched it. It was such a tremendous sight. (Try the following tips for secure viewing of the eclipse.)
As an eclipse approaches totality, there’s a extremely fascinating phenomenon that happens, generally known as the diamond ring impact, the place it seems to the attention {that a} sensible blaze of sunshine is coming from one spot on the moon simply earlier than the final little bit of solar is roofed. One other fascinating phenomenon is known as Baily’s beads, which is an impact the place there’s a entire bunch of little shiny spots across the rim of the moon, which are literally the solar shining by means of the valleys and hills on the moon’s floor. It is advisable to go to the trail of totality to see these results, which for this eclipse, contains the tip of New Hampshire, northern Maine and northern Vermont.
Q: Will folks have the ability to see this 12 months’s photo voltaic eclipse at UMass Lowell?
A: UMass Lowell’s campus will see 94% of the photo voltaic eclipse, making it a partial eclipse. The eclipse will begin turning into seen round 2:15 p.m. That’s once you’ll discover the rim of the moon beginning to encroach on the sting of the solar whereas wanting on the solar along with your photo voltaic glasses. By about 3:30 p.m., we’ll attain the deepest level of the eclipse, with just a bit crescent of the solar remaining. It will likely be noticeably darker with a lot of the solar coated up. The eclipse will finish simply after 4:30 p.m.
Q: What photo voltaic eclipse viewing occasions are happening at UMass Lowell?
A: The Kennedy School of Sciences dean’s workplace is handing out free eclipse glasses and will likely be internet hosting an eclipse viewing social gathering on the rooftop of the North Campus Parking Storage. On the Schueller Observatory on South Campus, we’ll have the dome open with a photo voltaic filter on the telescope, so folks can are available in and look by means of the telescope because the eclipse progresses. The Astronomy Membership may even arrange different photo voltaic telescopes on the South Campus quad and be handing out extra glasses. Hopefully, the climate will cooperate.