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A32 FEATURE
Monday 7 august 2017
U.S. in rare bull’s-eye for total solar eclipse on Aug. 21

By MARCIA DUNN The Astronomical League eras aboard the Interna-
AP Aerospace Writer for amateur astronomers is tional Space Station. Ships
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. holing up at Casper, Wyo- and planes will also catch
(AP) — It will be tough ming. Minor league base- the action.
eclipsing this eclipse. ball teams will halt play for “It’s going to be hard to
The sun, moon and Earth “eclipse delays” in Salem, beat, frankly,” says Thom-
will line up perfectly in the Oregon, and elsewhere. as Zurbuchen, head of
cosmos on Aug. 21, turn- By a cosmic quirk of the NASA’s science mission of-
ing day into night for a few calendar, the Little Green fice.
wondrous minutes, its path Men Days Festival will be in At the same time, re-
crossing the U.S. from sea full swing in Kelly, Kentucky, searchers and the just plain
to shining sea for the first as will the American Athe- curious will watch how ani-
time in nearly a century. ists’ annual convention in mals and plants react as
Never will a total so- North Charleston, South darkness falls. It will resem-
lar eclipse be so heavily Carolina. ble twilight and the tem-
viewed and studied — or And where better to fill up perature will drop 10 to 15 In this June 29, 2017 file photo, David Chrismon, left, a member
celebrated. on eclipse T-shirts and safe- degrees. of Guilford Technical Community College’s student astronomy
“We’re going to be looking ty glasses — and eclipse Expect four hours of pag- club, the Stellar Society, watches as Steve Desch, an astrono-
at this event with unprec- burgers — than the Eclipse eantry, from the time the my instructor, sets up a telescope in Jamestown, N.C., that the
edented eyes,” promises Kitchen in Makanda, Illi- sun begins to be eclipsed group will use on their trip to Newberry, S.C. to observe a solar
Alex Young, a solar physi- nois. by the moon near Lincoln eclipse on Aug. 21.

or three years, when the No other country but the
moon positions itself smack U.S. will be privy to the path
dab between the sun and of totality. Originating in
Earth. But these take-your- the wide open North Pacif-
breath-away eclipses usu- ic and ending in the Atlan-
ally occur in the middle tic well short of Africa, the
of the ocean somewhere, path of totality will cover
though, or near the sparse- 8,600 miles (13,800 kilome-
ly populated top or bottom ters) from end to end.
of the world. In two years, In all, 14 states (two of
Chile, Argentina and the them barely) and 21 Na-
empty South Pacific will tional Park locations and
share top billing. seven national historic trails
The United States is in the will be in the path.
bull’s-eye this time. Darkness will last just under
It will be the first total solar two minutes in Oregon,
eclipse in 99 years to cross gradually expanding to a
coast-to-coast and the first maximum two minutes and
to pass through any part 44 seconds in Shawnee
of the Lower 48 states in 38 National Forest in south-
years. ernmost Illinois, almost into
NASA’s meteor guru, Bill Kentucky, then dwindling
Cardboard frames for solar eclipse glasses are stacked in the American Paper Optics factory in Cooke, was in Washington to 2 1/2 minutes in South
Bartlett, Tenn., on Wednesday, June 21, 2017. The company is one of many businesses _ hotels, state for that one in 1979. Carolina. Staring at the sun
campgrounds and stores _ taking advantage of the total solar eclipse _ when the moon passes This time, he’s headed to with unprotected eyes is
between Earth and the sun. The moon’s shadow will fall in a diagonal ribbon across the U.S.,
from Oregon to South Carolina.
Associated Press

cist who is coordinating Scientists are also go- City, Oregon, until the
NASA’s education and ing gaga. “This is a really time the moon’s shadow
public outreach. amazing chance to just vanishes near Charleston,
And the party planning is open the public’s eyes to South Carolina. NASA will
at full tilt from Oregon to wonder,” says Montana emcee the whole show,
South Carolina. State University’s Angela via TV and internet from
Eclipse Fests, StarFests, So- Des Jardins, a physicist in that coastal city.
larFests, SolFests, Darken- charge of a NASA eclipse The total eclipse will last
ing of the SunFests, Moon- ballooning project . The just 1 1/2 hours as the lunar
shadowFests, EclipseCons, student-launched, high- shadow sweeps coast to
Eclipse Encounters and altitude balloons will beam coast at more than 1,500 In this June 26, 2017 file photo, Laurel Krokstrom holds a model
of the Earth, while Jamalee Clark, right, uses a flashlight to
Star Parties are planned back live video of the mph (2,400 kph) beginning simulate the sun while Laura Peticolas, center, holds the moon
along the long but narrow eclipse along the route. about 1:15 p.m. EDT and and explains how a total solar eclipse occurs, in Gering, Neb.
path of totality, where the Satellites and ground tele- ending at 2:49 p.m. EDT. Assoiated Press
moon completely blots out scopes will also aim at the The sun’s crown — the nor-
the sun. sun and at the moon’s mally invisible outer atmo- his sister’s farm in eastern always dangerous, except
Vineyards, breweries, mu- shadow cutting a swath sphere known as the co- Tennessee. during the few minutes of
seums, parks, universities, some 60 to 70 miles wide rona — will shine forth like “It is the most weird, totality. But eye protec-
stadiums — just about ev- (97 to 113 kilometers) a halo. creepy, awe-inspiring as- tion is needed during the
erybody is getting into the across the land. Astronauts Sure, full solar eclipses tronomical event you will partial eclipse before and
act. will do the same with cam- happen every one, two experience,” Cooke says. after.q