May 16

SEE A SOLAR ECLIPSE ON SUNDAY MAY 20TH 2012

Every month, the Moon goes around the Earth (“Moon’th”). When the Moon is opposite the Sun we see it lit as a “Full Moon” and when it is in the same direction as the Sun we see it lit as a thin crescent or “New Moon”. Because it’s path is not exactly on the same plane as the Sun it usually passes just above or below the Sun when it is a New Moon. Sometimes, however, the Moon passes in front of the Sun and we get a “Solar Eclipse”.

By an amazing piece of luck, the apparent disk of the Sun is 400 times bigger that the disk of the Moon, but it is 400 times further away.. So they look almost the same size from Earth.

There are three types of Solar Eclipse:

Partial…  The Moon covers part of the Sun

Total….   The Moon completely cover the Sun

Annular.. The Moon almost covers the Sun but not completely because it is a little too far away

On Sunday, May  20th we will see an Annular Solar Eclipse

Unless you drive North to Reading and into the perfect path of the shadow of the Moon you won’t see the Annular eclipse, but you will see a VERY deep partial eclipse here in Oakland with the Moon covering 84.5% of the Sun.

Times for Oakland:

First contact…           17:55:55 (5:56pm)

Maximum eclipse…  18:32:33 (6:32pm)

Last contact….          19:39:50 (7:40pm)

From Oakland with the Moon almost covering the Sun it will appear as a crescent

DO NOT LOOK AT THE SUN WITH YOUR EYES.. YOU WILL DAMAGE THEM FOREVER!!

The simplest method is a pinhole camera. Make a small hole in a sheet of card, and hold it about a yard from another sheet of card, with your back to the Sun; the Sun’s light will be “projected” through the pinhole and form an inverted image on the second sheet of card, which you can then look at safely. Don’t look through the pinhole! You can adjust the size of the image by adjusting the separation of the cards.

You can also use special mylar eclipse glasses if you have them. Share them if you have them. You can also go to Chabot Observatory on Skyline Blvd where they will have free safe eclipse viewing.