The Christmas Eclipse
Observing >
Under usual circumstances, the announcement of both a new millennium and a Christmas solar eclipse would be rather exciting. Unfortunately, though, this year’s announcement is a little anticlimactic.
There was such a big deal made last January over the arrival of the “new
millennium” that when the real thing comes next week it’s sure
to pass with a whimper.There was no Year 0, so the first century started with the year A.D. 1. The second century, therefore, started in A.D. 101, and so on. By keeping with this pattern, the 21st Century really starts in the year A.D. 2001.
Last year we celebrated the flipping of the calendar’s odometer from 1999 to 2000. But for most people it was a two-for-one gala as they celebrated the arrival of the new millennium, as well.
In the great scheme of things, of course, it’s not a big deal. Calendars are rather arbitrary, anyway. And after the last election revealed our shortcomings in the counting arena, we may find some Americans celebrating the new millennium in the year 2002.
Now to Christmas news.
Our
Christmas Star is being eclipsed by the Moon! That is, on Christmas morning
the Moon, in its never-ending orbit around the Earth, will slowly move
in front of the Sun, partially blocking it. Unfortunately, the Moon is
near apogee, so it won’t be a total eclipse.
Apogee just means the Moon is at its greatest distance from us in its
orbit. When it’s farther out it has a greater difficulty covering
the whole sun.
Imagine a light bulb several feet away from you. You can block out the
entire bulb with your thumb if your thumb is close enough to your eye.
But move your thumb toward the light and you’ll soon find it no longer
blocks out the whole bulb. This is what’s happening with the Sun
and Moon in their present positions.
Moreover, because of the positions of every body involved, the place to
be for the most “sun blockage” is in the north and east of North
America. Hmmm… we are in the south and west. Sadly, our eclipse will
be minor. But we do get some!
And if you’re game, here’s how to “see”
it.
First: never, ever, ever, look directly at the Sun - even during partial
eclipses - unless the Sun is completely eclipsed by the Moon or you have
a special filter. A partial eclipse can destroy your vision.
If
you want to use a filter, use only the commercially available kind. (A
good telescope store will have them.) You can also use #14 arc-welder’s
glass.
Or you can play it safe and do a family project, creating a classic pinhole
camera, like the one pictured.
Take a piece of cardboard and poke a good-sized hole through it. Tape
a piece of aluminum foil over the hole. Then make a small hole through
the foil with a straight pin.
Let the sun’s light pass through the hole to another piece of cardboard
a couple feet away. That tiny disk of light is an image of the Sun. On
Christmas morning, that little disk will have a bite taken out of it.
See below.
The eclipse peaks here around 8.30 AM. Maybe after you
open your gifts early Christmas morning, you and your family can go outside
for another, more heavenly, gift.
Images and movies of the eclipse await you at firstlightastro.com. Click
on iColumn.
Until next time, clear skies, a blessed Christmas, and a safe new Millennium!
Posted by Administrator at 2000.12.25 08:55 AM | Comments (0)
