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Where and When to See Sunday’s Solar Eclipse
Get ready Western US and Asia!
On May 20, our moon will pass between the Earth and the sun, creating a brilliant annular solar eclipse for some viewers and an equally amazing partial solar eclipse for many others.
An annular solar eclipse happens when the moon is at a certain distance from the Earth, so that it appears relatively smaller than the sun; in a total eclipse, the moon appears to be the same size as the sun. This all happens because the moon’s orbit around the Earth isn’t a perfect circle but rather is an ellipse, putting it sometimes a bit further from the Earth than others.
An annular eclipse gets its name due to the ring, or annulus, that forms around the moon when the eclipse reaches maximum.
Due to the size of the moon compared to the size of the sun (and the fact that the moon can’t block the sunlight for everyone on Earth at once), not everyone will be able to see this annular eclipse. Only a relatively small number of people will be in just the right spot to see the annulus. But if you’re outside of the ideal viewing area, by no means are you out of luck! [...]
Menderman
May 19th, 2012
I’m on the wrong side of the country for this one. How about a few of you west coasters snap a few shots for me?
I read that weldors goggles make a good “filter”.
jwm
May 19th, 2012
This is a warning from Gaia! She’s going to put the sun out if we don’t stop warmining up the earth in our mad and reckless quest for earth warmining. Human sacrifice is in order! find some virgins and a volcano! Just do something!
JWM
Menderman
May 19th, 2012
goggles with a rating of #14 or higher
Tammy has the link on her page
Menderman
May 19th, 2012
jwm, how ’bout a good ole fashioned tire burning to celebrate the event?
FreeMan - Save Me Sarah
May 19th, 2012
Moose will bend over and block out the sun.
mkultra
May 19th, 2012
Don’t throw away your eclipse viewing glasses after Sunday. Keep them to observe the transit of Venus on June 5th-6th.
jwm
May 19th, 2012
@Menderman:
Tire burning lacks the drama, and spectacle of a human sacrifice, and I doubt it will keep Gaia happy for long. It is easier on the virgins, though. I guess I’ll have to make do with a tire.
JWM
serfer62
May 19th, 2012
I looked for it but something was blocking the sun…
Sadie
May 19th, 2012
Clever link @ animated eclipse map
Sadie
May 19th, 2012
ShadowandSubstance.com shows the best times to look.
Maybe the above link will work.
Menderman
May 19th, 2012
what is the link to the animated map?
MaryfromMarin
May 19th, 2012
I see that one of the best places for viewing is Redding, CA. That should thrill the New Agers still congregating near Mt. Shasta, in hopes of a repeat of the Harmonic Convergence.
Truthsayer221
May 19th, 2012
I’ll try to get some snapshots from here in Nevada to share with ya’ll .
Hawaiian
May 19th, 2012
Here’s a good map:
http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEgoogle/SEgoogle2001/SE2012May20Agoogle.html
Hawaiian
May 19th, 2012
I saw one of these like 20 years ago on the Big Island. We were up slope @ around 2500 ft. so could see the eclipse shadow come at us across the ocean. Kind of freaky really, all the birds started chirping like it was sunset. Easy to see why the ancients thought a solar eclipse meant Gaia was about to smite them. Go see this one if you can.
Geri
May 19th, 2012
“An annular eclipse gets its name due to the ring, or annulus, that forms around the moon when the eclipse reaches maximum”
Just like Obama’s policies have reached a maximum in eclipsing our economy and he always appears with an annulus around his evil headbone.
MaryfromMarin
May 19th, 2012
@Geri–
It doesn’t matter where BHO has an annulus, as long as he gets eclipsed. Permanently.
Feraldog
May 19th, 2012
Mary, Let the hippies have Shasta. I’m heading to Mt.Lassen (another local volcano) it appears to be in the direct line,the snow is cleared from the road and you can get above the tree line easily.
MaryfromMarin
May 19th, 2012
@Feraldog–
I envy you! Wish I could get to Lassen (a favorite place) for viewing, but I can’t leave Marin this weekend. Well, it should still be pretty good viewing around here.
Enjoy Lassen! The poor rainfall this season at least makes it easy to get above the tree line this early.
Geri
May 19th, 2012
AMEN, Mary!
All Too Much
May 19th, 2012
99% in Sacramento. I was in Amsterdam for a full eclipse in ’97(?).
I know I was there just not sure of the year. At least I’ve been told I was there.
Tony R
May 19th, 2012
It’s kind of like when Mooshelle stands in front of Barack and he disappears. Except for his halo. Yeah, it’s like that.