Hi! Diane Wigstone here. Those of you who know me well, know that I am somewhat of a science geek. Most people would never suspect it, but I am. I love to research science stuff, and learn how things work… Years of research in different science fields led to the revelations shared in my Master Your Mind book series.
And, I absolutely love seeing pictures of the universe – and stars – and galaxies… the APOD app (Astronomy picture of the day) is very likely the only app that I use every day on my phone, without fail.
So, this month the galaxy is displaying a special treat for me – and for you… It is a something that hasn’t been seen for almost 100 years. Ninety-nine years ago, on June 8, 1918, there was a total solar eclipse that was visible across the entire United States from sea to shining sea.
Next week on August 21, 2017, there will be another total solar eclipse that goes from coast to coast. The eclipses longest duration of total eclipse will be near Carbondale, Illinois, where the sun will be completely covered for two minutes and 40 seconds. Each area will notice the partial eclipse for much longer.
The solar eclipse will start in the USA about 9:05 a.m. PDT local time in Lincoln Beach, Oregon PDT the Moon will then slide in front of the Sun and for a brief moment, the day will melt into a dusky night, with totality there at in Lincoln Beach, Oregon 10:16 a.m. PDT.
Over the next hour and a half, while moving across the United States, the total eclipse will cross through 14 states – Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, and North and South Carolina. The Moon’s shadow will totally block the Sun’s light for those within the path of totality. Weather permitting, they will be treated to a view of the Sun’s outer atmosphere, called the corona.
The last of the eclipse will be seen near Charleston, South Carolina starting at 2:48 p.m. EDT. An hour and twenty-one minutes later, the lunar shadow leaves the United States and eclipse will exit the USA about at 4:09 EDT.
Over the course of 100 minutes, 14 states across the United States will experience more than two minutes of darkness in the middle of the day. Additionally, a partial eclipse will be viewable across all of North America. Parts of South America, Africa, and Europe will see at least a partial solar eclipse as well. NASA has an interactive map where you can see when it will be visible for you. NASA’s interactive eclipse map will show you times for the partial and total eclipse anywhere in the world. (https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEgoogle/SEgoogle2001/SE2017Aug21Tgoogle.html)
Watch live: https://www.nasa.gov/eclipselive
If you are not in North America – or if you end up experiencing cloudy weather – or if you just want to see all the really cool pictures from NASA, you can watch the eclipse on-line. Viewers around the world can see images captured before, during, and after the eclipse by 11 spacecraft, at least three NASA aircraft, more than 50 high-altitude balloons, and the astronauts aboard the International Space Station – each offering a unique vantage point for the celestial event.
If you miss this total solar eclipse in the USA, the next one will occur on April 8, 2024. The eclipse will once again move across the entire mainland of the United States, entering in Texas and sweeping across fifteen states towards the north east, exiting from Maine. Here is the path: http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/Eclipse2024.php#eclport
All this great information about the sun reminds me to tell you about the newest Destiny Center Author Riley Sage. Destiny Center recently published Riley’s Sci-Fi novel “Solar Flare – X58.” It is an intriguing, fast-paced post-apocalyptic EMP dystopian fiction novel about a solar flare of great magnitude that throws the earth into the dark ages.
You can buy a paperback book, as well as an epub e-Book version, here on the Destiny Center website. All of our friends who have read the book love it. We think you will too!