Sky's Up July-September 2017 | Page 2
Sky ’ s
Up
inside
March 2006 total solar
eclipse as seen from
the Aegean Sea
Rising star
Science enthusiast finds
ideal outlet in outreach
— Page 10
V ol . 07 — J uly -S eptember 2017
Published by the AstronomyOutreach network
Founded in 2000, the AstronomyOutreach
network (AOn) was created to encourage
and celebrate public outreach efforts by
astronomers of all levels. This non-profit
organization has tasked itself with forging
connections between individual astronomers,
astronomy clubs and larger astronomy and
space education initiatives.
Board of Directors:
Director: Scott W. Roberts
Editorial Staff:
Senior Editor: David H. Levy
Project Manager: Patricia Smith
© AstronomyOutreach network
Duplication of contents in full or part is
prohibited unless prior authorization by
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o o o
Sky’s Up digital magazine is made
possible through a generous contribution
from Explore Scientific.
on the cover
10 Questions
JPL’s Steve Edberg shines
a light on our favorite star
Experience totality!
— Page 14
It’s time to align!
Get ready for the Moon’s
shadow to make an epic
coast-to-coast road trip
— Page 24
A sensory feast
There’s more to
totality than what is
happening in the sky
— Page 36
The STEM zone
Learn to build a personal
eclipse viewer & make an
Earth-Moon system model
— Page 40
Explore Scientific staffers and their families
take a mid-day break to get a glimpse at
the Sun through the company’s safe solar-
filtered Sun Catcher viewing glasses.
2
What’s Up in the Sky.............Pg. 4
On the Horizon......................Pg. 5
Constellation Corner.............Pg. 6
The STEM Zone....................Pg. 40
On the Road........................Pg. 46
Meet the Moon...................Pg. 48
The Art of Astronomy..........Pg. 54
Lunar Calendar....................Pg. 58
Seasonal Sky Calendars.......Pg. 59
Parting Shot.........................Pg. 68
Sky ’ s
Up
Welcome to the
A David
summer issue of
Sky’s Up, a special
Levy Sky
issue concentrating
on the forthcoming
total eclipse of the
Sun. Most people
have never seen a
total eclipse, but I
rather suspect that
some of you have
seen a partial eclipse,
by David
even a deep one
Levy
during which the Sun
slowly becomes a
thin crescent.
Is there a difference between a deep
partial eclipse, even a 99 percent
eclipse, and one that is total? Indeed
yes, a great big one. All the difference
in the world, in fact.
If the eclipse is almost total, like
99 percent, the Sun will become that
thin crescent, even perhaps a crescent
reduced to a line of sunlight, and you
may even see the dark shadow of the
Moon approach from the west. As the
shadow rushes by, the line will shift
rapidly around the Sun, then expand
again into a crescent and finally the
full Sun we know.
If the eclipse is total, then the dark
shadow passes right over you. The line
of sunlight shrinks to a series of spots,
called Bailey’s Beads — named after
Francis Bailey who first saw them
during the eclipse of 1836. Within a
few seconds all but one of the beads
shrinks, starbursts and disappears.
That one point of light is all that’s left
of the Sun. It is not surprising that
we call that the diamond ring. At the
same instant, the sun’s corona—the
outer atmosphere of the Sun — bursts
forth. The only time we can ever see
the corona is during a total eclipse of
the Sun.
The total eclipse of May 17, 1882,
offered something extra. There was a
beautiful corona, plus a bright streak
that was almost certainly a comet!
Informally named Tewfik, this comet
just happened to be rounding the Sun
at the moment of totality and was
COURTESY OF David Levy
observed then. It was never seen again.
This issue offers articles and
photographs that will help you
observe this eclipse and photograph it.
However, especially if you have never
seen an eclipse before, please heed
this advice: At the moment of total
eclipse, please put your camera down,
and look up. The moment of totality
is the only time it is safe to look at
the Sun without any eye protection. It
also offers all of us the chance to stare
in wonder at one of Nature’s most
thrilling spectacles.
Over decades of observing, David Levy has discovered or co-discovered a total of 23 comets. His prolific record includes the joint
discovery of Shoemaker-Levy 9, which quickly went on to dramatically crash into Jupiter in 1994, and the individual discoveries of two
periodic comets – P/1991 L3 and P/2006T1 – through his backyard telescope. In 2010, Levy became the first person to have discovered
comets in three ways - visually, photographically and electronically. Beyond his observation achievements, Levy has authored, edited or
contributed to more than 30 books and has periodically provided articles for publications like Sky & Telescope and Parade Magazine.
Sky ’ s
Up
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