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From: baalke{at}zagami.jpl.nasa.gov (Ron Baalke)
Subject: Solar Eclipse
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2003/30may_solareclipse.htm
Solar Eclipse

NASA Science News
Solar Eclipse
May 30, 2993

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.

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:

http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/ASE2003/ASE2003.html

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.

                               [Graphic]

Above: A partial solar eclipse will be visible on May 31st from places
bounded by the red lines. The pink D-shaped region shows where people can
see an annular eclipse. [more]

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
(http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/eclipse.html) 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.
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