The Sky This Month
Welcome to our night-time sky.
Please enjoy this monthʼs tidbits of
knowledge. We are lucky to live in a
dark-sky area where the heavens can
shine through. I hope you enjoy the
sky and perhaps learn a thing or two.
Happy star gazing!
Bring Lots of Money – Eclipses
are expensive! As most of you are
probably aware, there will be a once in a lifetime event on
August 21 st . (Although technically, you could see another
one in 2024.) In any case, total solar eclipses are exceed-
ingly rare in the United States. The 2017 eclipse traverses
from Oregon to South Carolina, giving a chance for an
enormous number of people to witness this incredible event.
However, if you are not one of the lucky denizens living
under the 70 mile wide path, you will have to pay through
the nose. I began searching for hotels last year, figuring that
I was looking well in advance of the madding crowds. Boy
was I wrong. All of the hotels are booked from sea to sea.
What rooms were available, were renting for upwards of
$1,000 per night! Plus, I am talking about a Motel 6, not
the Waldorf Astoria. Many of the localities have set aside
camping space at high schools for $100/nt with a three night
minimum – pretty steep for tent space. I was able to find a
6 August 2017
pccnews
hotel in Logan, UT, about 2.5 hours south of the center of
the eclipse for only $200/nt, which is reasonable. Our plan
will be to get up at 0-dark-thirty and drive to the eclipse
path. Hopefully there will not be 10,000 other people with
the same plan causing grid lock on the highway. We are
crossing our fingers.
If You Stay – For those of you without wheel barrows full
of gold or time off, you can still witness this amazing event,
albeit partial. Locally, the Sun will be eclipsed about 63%,
which is quite a lot. The eclipse will start at 9:13 am when
the Moon starts to touch the edge of the Sun. The maximum
coverage will occur at 10:33 am. The Moon will continue
passing through the Sun and the eclipse will end at 11:59
am. While you are watching the eclipse, take a look at the
shadows of leaves under trees. They will actually turn cres-
cent shaped during the eclipse. You will not be able to look
directly at the sun without a filter, so head to the hardware
store and buy #14 welderʼs glass or aluminized Mylar. If
you have a pair of binoculars, DO NOT place the welderʼs
glass or Mylar between your eyes and the binoculars. The
heat from the focused Sun can break the material and then
immediately burn your eyes. So, kick back and enjoy the
view. (Oh, and wish us luck with the traffic!)
—Brian Biggs
Amateur Astronomer