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NASA Science News for May 30, 2003

Solar Eclipse

Alaska, most of Europe and Asia, parts of Canada. These are the
places to be on Saturday, May 31st, to see the first solar eclipse of
2003. 

May 30, 2003: Total eclipses of the sun are breathtaking,
jaw-dropping. Many people who feel the cool sweep of the moon's
shadow for the first time and witness the sun's ghostly corona go on
to become world-traveling eclipse chasers. A total eclipse can change
your life. 

Partial eclipses, on the other hand, are just plain fun.

During a partial eclipse the moon never completely covers the Sun.
The sky never darkens. The corona never appears. But something
wonderful does happen. Little crescents pop up everywhere. 

Look under a tree. Sunlight beaming through gaps in the leaves make
crescent-shaped spots on the ground. Look around the walls of your
home or office. You might see some crescents projected by slits in
the window shades. Windows with cut glass are better yet. Their
prism-like corners bend sunlight and cast rainbow-colored crescents
in unexpected places--perfect for a treasure hunt.

Sky watchers in Alaska, parts of Canada, most of Europe and Asia can
hunt for crescents on May 31st (UT) when the Moon glides in front of
the Sun for nearly two hours. It's the first solar eclipse of 2003.

The coming eclipse is partial, not total, which means the moon will
never completely cover the sun. How much of the sun disappears
depends on where you live. In Stockholm, for instance, the coverage
will be nearly complete--about 85%. The crescent there will be
slender. In Anchorage only about 50% of the sun will be covered. The
crescent will be fat. Click here to view eclipse maps and timetables
for hundreds of cities. 

Europe, Canada and Alaska are good places to be because the eclipse
occurs at special times: In Europe the event happens at sunrise
(Saturday morning, May 31st); in Alaska and Canada at sunset (Friday
evening, May 30th). Sunrises and sunsets are lovely enough when the
sun is round. They can be as magical as a total eclipse when the sun
is a crescent. 

Warning: Although the sun might seem dim and safe to look at when it
hangs low over the horizon, it is still dangerous. Staring at the sun
with the unaided eye is almost sure to cause eye damage. Even a brief
glimpse of the sun through unfiltered telescopes or binoculars will
blind you. Always use proper filters or safe solar projection
techniques. 

In a polar region of Earth spanning parts of Greenland, all of
Iceland, and the northern tip of Scotland, this eclipse will be
annular. At the moment of maximum eclipse, the moon will lie dead
center in front of the sun, yet it won't completely cover it. The
bright surface of the sun will stick out all around the moon's limb.
Instead of a crescent, the sun will look like a fiery ring. 

Astronomers have taken many pictures of annular eclipses through
safely-filtered telescopes. They're lovely. More rare, perhaps, would
be a photo of a ring-shaped sunbeam filtering through the branches of
a leafy tree. Or a rainbow-colored ring cast by the bevels of a
cut-glass window.

Projected images of the sun are more than just a safe way to watch
our star. They're art. They bend around corners, stretch across
tables. They dance beneath trees when the wind blows. 

Curiously, humans have built-in solar projectors: hands and fingers.
Lay one hand atop the other, crisscrossing your fingers waffle-style.
Leave enough space between your digits to form a grid of square-ish
holes. You can cast an array of sun images on almost anything: dogs,
kids, walls. Let your imagination be your guide. 

And have fun. It's just a partial eclipse, after all.

Visit NASA's Eclipse Home Page for more information about this and
other solar eclipses. SpaceWeather.com will display pictures of the
eclipse on May 31st and during the week that follows. 

Credits & Contacts
Author: Dr. Tony Phillips 
Responsible NASA official: Ron Koczor 
Production Editor: Dr. Tony Phillips 
Curator: Bryan Walls 
Media Relations: Steve Roy

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