Solar Eclipses

Historically, Eclipses predicted death & destruction by angry Gods

The word eclipse comes from ekleipsis, the ancient Greek word for being abandoned.

Eclipse Myths & Superstitions

• Vietnam: Giant Frog Devours Sun

• Ancient China: celestial dragon eats Sun – Chinese word for an eclipse, chih or shih,

means to eat.

Eclipse Myths & Superstitions

• Vikings: Wolves of Midgard chase and devour the sun

Wolves of Midgard pursue Sol and Mani in Norse mythology

Eclipse Myths & Superstitions

• Ancient Hindu mythology, Rahu – Demon Rahu beheaded by Vishnu for capturing and

drinking Amrita, the gods' nectar. Rahu's immortal head flies off into the sky, but he had not yet swallowed so his body dies. In anger, he chases and occasionally swallows the Sun causing an eclipse, but it falls through and reappears.

In Bangkok, Thailand

Rahu eating sun at temple in Nakhon Chaisi, 65 km from Bangkok

Eclipse Myths & Superstitions

• Traditionally, people in many cultures get together to bang pots, pans, and drums, and make loud noises during a solar eclipse.

It is thought that making a noise scares away the demon causing the eclipse.

It is always successful!

Native Peoples

Native Peoples

• Tewa tribe from New Mexico: a solar eclipse signaled an angry Sun who had left the skies to go to his house in the underworld.

• Navajo: Cosmic order and balance. Stay inside with their family, singing special songs, and refraining from eating, drinking, or sleeping. Do not look, as this disrupts one’s balance with universe.

• Inuit: Sun goddess Malina walked away after a fight with Moon god Anningan. A solar eclipse happened when Anningan managed to catch up with his sister.

• Batammaliba, from Benin and Togo in West Africa: eclipse of the Sun meant that the Sun and Moon were fighting. Only way to stop them from hurting each other was for people on Earth to resolve all conflicts with one another.

Modern Day Superstitions

Modern Day Superstitions

• Fear of solar eclipses still exists today. Many people around the world still see eclipses as evil omens that bring death, destruction, and disasters.

• A popular misconception is that solar eclipses can be a danger to pregnant women and their unborn children. In many cultures, young children and pregnant women are asked to stay indoors during a solar eclipse.

• In many parts of India, people fast during a solar eclipse due to the belief that any food cooked while an eclipse happens will be poisonous and unpure.

• Not all superstitions surrounding solar eclipses are about doom. In Italy, for example, it is believed that flowers planted during a solar eclipse are brighter and more colorful than flowers planted any other time of the year.

Historical Solar Eclipses of Note

Historical information credit: “The 8 Most Famous Solar Eclipses in History”, By Tia Ghose, Senior Writer, Live Science | February 13, 2017

Great American Solar Eclipse 2017

Credit: Total Solar Eclipse 2016 – NASA TV

• 1st Total Eclipse visible in US in nearly 4 decades • August 21, 2017 • 70-mile wide shadow of moon from Oregon to South Carolina

Oldest Recorded Eclipse, 2134 BCE

• Babylonians & Ancient Chinese could predict eclipses as early as 2500 BCE.

• China: Eclipses associated with health & success of emperor. Prediction required to avoid danger.

Legend: 2 Astrologers, Hsi & Ho, were executed for failing to predict a solar eclipse, believed to be the one that occurred on Oct. 22, 2134 BCE.

Babylonian Substitute Kings Earliest Babylonian record: May 3, 1375 BCE

Early Chinese Eclipse, 1302 B.C.

Credit: Ed Lemery/Shutterstock.com

• Blocked out sun for 6 min 25 sec on June 5, 1302 B.C. • Sun was the symbol of the emperor, so an eclipse was seen as a warning to the leader

• After an eclipse, an emperor would eat vegetarian meals and perform rituals to rescue the sun.

• Inscription on ancient turtle shell fragments that discussed the eclipse also stated, “Three flames ate the Sun and big stars were seen”.

An annular solar eclipse seen from Xiamen, China, on May 20, 2012

Peacemaker Eclipse, 585 BCE

• According to the Greek historian Herodotus, a solar eclipse in 585 BCE stopped the war between the Lydians and the Medes, who saw the dark skies as a sign to make peace with each other.

• Note that Greek Astronomer Hipparchus used a solar eclipse in 189 BCE to determine distance to Moon within 11%.

Hipparchus in his observatory in Alexandria

The Crucifixion of Jesus, 29-33 CE

Credit: Stephanie Pappas, LiveScience

• Christian gospels say that the sky was darkened for hours after the crucifixion of Jesus.

• A Variety of interpretations at the time viewed the darkening as either a miracle, or a portent of dark times to come.

• Two total solar eclipses of interest: • 1m 59s in 29 CE • 4m 6s in 33 CE

Birth of Mohammed

* Mecca

The Koran mentions an eclipse that preceded the birth of Mohammed. Historians tied this to a total eclipse that lasted 3m17s in 569 CE. Annular eclipse on Jan. 27, 632, coincided with death of Mohammed’s son, Ibrahim.

King Henry's Eclipse, A.D. 1133

Credit: Neil Thompson, Flickr

Reading Abbey, where King Henry I was interred

• When King Henry I of England, the son of William the Conqueror, died in A.D. 1133, the event coincided with a total solar eclipse that lasted 4 min 38 sec.

AD 1257

total solar

eclipse path

AD 1259

total solar

eclipse path

Migrations out of

Mesa Verde Region

AD 1260-1285

* Santa Clara

Cliff Palace, Mesa Verde

* Mesa Verde

Mesa Verde Eclipses 1257 & 1259

Chaco Canyon Petroglyph “Piedra del Sol”

Discovery of Helium, 1868

August 18th, 1868 by French astronomer Jules Janssen

Einstein's Eclipse, 1919

During 1919's epic eclipse, in which the sun vanished for 6 minutes and 51 seconds, scientists measured the bending of light from the stars as they passed near the sun. The findings confirmed Einstein's theory of general relativity, which describes gravity as a warping of space-time.

While the ancients viewed eclipses as signs of great acts of God, physicists viewed the 1919 solar eclipse as a triumph of science.

One of Edington’s photographs of the 1919 eclipse from his 1920 publication.

Confirmation of General Relativity from bending of starlight during a total solar eclipse

First shown in May 1919 by Arthur Eddington. Subsequent verification in 1922 by Astronomers from Lick Observatory, and later by many others.

Sun Cross-section

The Sun In Visible & far-UV light

Solar Prominence

Between two and five solar eclipses occur every year. On average, there are about 240 solar eclipses each century.

Moon’s orbit inclined to Earth’s by 5 degrees

If moon is above or below line between Sun and Earth, then no eclipse

From space a solar eclipse looks like a circle of darkened sunlight moving across the earth

Eclipse Shadow of Io on Jupiter

Relative sizes of Sun and Moon affect whether a solar eclipse is total or annular

Perigee Perihelion Apehelion Apogee

Distance (km) 356,930 147,096,200 152,003,400 406,500

Because the Moon’s orbit is inclined 5.10 to the plane of the ecliptic, during most of the times of new- and full-Moon the Moon is above or below the plane and no eclipse can occur

Annular Eclipse

Photo by Fraser Goff, NM, 2012

Sunspots before eclipse

2012 Transit of Venus, by Fraser Goff Venus

Sunspots

Partial Solar Eclipse

Total Solar Eclipse

Diamond Ring effect, showing flares & Prominences

Photo by Rick Wallace, 1991

Bailey’s Beads are parts of the photosphere that are visible through lunar valleys.

Total Solar Eclipse

Photo by Luc Viatour, 1999

Corona

Total eclipse sequence

Eclipse Sequence – Fraser & Kathy Goff

Fred Espenak – Total Solar Eclipse

(16’)

Eclipse Path 2017 GIF

Snapshot of eclipse 2017 shadow

Tracing 2017 Total Eclipse Shadow

Next Total Eclipse in USA: 2017

Interactive Google Map of 2017 Eclipse http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site_pages/solar_eclipses/TSE_2017_GoogleMapFull.html

Los Alamos: about 80% partial

2017 Eclipse from Santa Fe, NM

https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/in/usa/santa-fe

Maximum Eclipse 2017/08/21 at 11:45:44 am local (MST) time

Solar Filter or eclipse glasses required for entire eclipse in NM!

Partial Solar Eclipse

Solar Filter or eclipse glasses required for entire eclipse in NM!

Phases of Total Solar Eclipse

Wyoming August 2017 Eclipse

Path of Totality

About 2:15 duration, depending on distance from center line.

Eclipse Glasses

Enjoying the Eclipse Solar Filter or eclipse glasses required for entire eclipse in NM!

Use eye protection for all partial phases!

Replace grey welders glass with much darker #14 glass

Remove clear glass inserts to prevent internal reflections of sun.

Binoculars are great, especially if they have image stabilization

Canon stabilized binoculars

Solar filter – slip on preferred over screw-on types, so filter can be quickly removed for totality.

Number 14 welders glass in cardboard mount for binoculars without protruding objective lens tubes.

Projections and pinholes

You can project a telescope image onto a white card, or use a pinhole to create the eclipse shadow. Try using leaves of trees, colanders, or other objects, as well as cardboard with small hole punched in it, to view the Sun’s shadow.

Sol-Searcher uses this technique to point camera or telescope at the Sun

Eclipse Photography

Option 1: no photos

• The eclipse only lasts 2 minutes

• It is spectacular!

• Consider just enjoying it, perhaps with binoculars

Chick Keller – 1980 Eclipse

• 1980 Eclipse during flight over Somalia

• Heavily post processed with numerical radial filter

• Corona visible to 10 Solar radii

• Note large solar Coronal Mass Ejection (CME)

Chick Keller, 1980 solar eclipse off Somalia

Fraser and Kathy Goff

Eclipse photos and techniques

Cell Phone Photography

You will need a photo app that allows you to manually focus and set the exposure

Try to find interesting foreground

Dennis DiCicco, Sky & Telescope

Photographing Eclipse – Basics • Do NOT use flash! • Stock up on memory

cards and extra batteries!

• Charge Batteries • Practice! • Practice!

• Consider using motorized tracking mount with solar rate.

Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer iOptron Skytracker Pro

• Consider hanging water jug from tripod to enhance stability

Heavier tripod with Tracking Mount

Orion SkyView Pro • Very stable • Holds up to 20 lbs • GOTO accessory to find Sun, or

for other astronomy photography

• Camera Controller for time-lapse • GPS available

Example

If making time-lapse photos, you may want to secure your tripod legs to the ground.

Daytime align equatorial mount

• Can use Compass app, like Spyglass

• Can use planetarium app, like Sky Safari Pro

• Ensure you are aligning to True North (not Magnetic North)

• Place phone over polar axis and make sure it points to South Pole (thus, the screen is pointing to North pole)

Cameras

• Any camera or phone for eclipse progression, or scenic with Sun, or of your group – (better if use at least 4x telephoto)

• Close-up of sun/eclipse: – Long-zoom Compact Camera, with at

least 500mm tele (20x zoom)

– DSLR

Canon PowerShot G3 X

Sony RX 10 III with 600mm zoom

Canon PowerShot SX60 HS

iPhone 7 plus Vari-angle viewscreen important when sun is almost overhead!

DSLR Cameras with interchangeable lenses

Canon 7D II APS-C DSLR with 100-400mm tele (620mm equivalent)

• Need 500-1000mm telephoto • Crop-frame, such as APS-C, or 1” can use

less-expensive lenses • Vari-angle viewscreen critical • Can use 1.4x converter to magnify image

Canon EOS 80D DSLR with 400mm tele and 1.4x converter (900mm equivalent)

Angle finder

Size of image in various telephotos

(Full-frame equivalent telephoto length)

Eclipse Photography Equipment - 1

Equipment

• Hat

• Long-sleeve shirt

• Flashlights

• Camera w/ flip viewscreen, Or WiFi remote

• Lens 800-1000mm

• Motorized tracking mount – Portable battery

– GPS is helpful

– Astronomy or compass app for polar alignment

Cam Ranger Interface (Your camera may have built-in WiFi)

Live View

Exposure Settings

Magnify for focus

HDR-Timer-Bracketing

Eclipse Photography Equipment - 2

Note: • Slip on Solar Filter • Sol-Searcher sun finder • 600-1000mm lens • Tape for focus and zoom rings

Accessories

• HoodLoupe for screen

• BBQ Grill cover

• Bicycle lock

• Remote Control

• Battery Grip

• Tape

Eclipse Photo Procedure

1. Polar align mount with compass app

2. Connect camera to WiFi or remote

3. Place solar filter on lens

4. Find Sun with GOTO or Sol-Searcher

5. Focus using magnified view, then tape focus and zoom rings

6. Set White Balance to Daylight

7. Begin exposures

Consider “Solar Eclipse Timer” App

Detects your GPS location, local time, and then automatically sets itself for the eclipse times • 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th contact • Countdown to totality • When to take off & put on

filters/glasses • Countdown to when eclipse will

end. • Practice mode • Demo of actual eclipse recording

Example Eclipse Exposures • Use RAW image setting if you can; otherwise, LARGE FINE jpeg • Partial phases – FILTER ON

– Manual exposure: ISO 200 and f/5.6 with Solar Filter – Set Interval timer for HDR at 9 shots, @ 1/3-stop increment, starting at

1/200 sec. – Timer: As many sets as needed.

• Diamond Ring – HDR 3 shots @ 1-stop increment, starting at 1/250 sec

• Baily’s Beads – 1/8000 sec

• Note that without a Solar tracking mount, the Sun will move about 1 diameter in 2 minutes. Progression: with 35mm lens, interval ~5 min?

• Totality – FILTER OFF – HDR 9 shots @ 1-stop increment, starting at 1/30 sec (i.e., 8 sec – 1/8000

sec). – Movie mode for remaining eclipse – USE BINOCULARS – LOOK AT ECLIPSE WITH EYES!

Without tracking mount, limit longest exposure to 500/(lens length), or sun’s motion will blur image.

Exposure Suggestions – B&H Photo

See also: http://www.mreclipse.com/SEphoto/SEphoto.html

Remove all filters for Totality!

Plan on post-processing photos to get the most detail

1991 Solar eclipse, by Fred Espenak • 14 individual photos at different exposures • Aligned, stacked and combined in

Photoshop

Individual exposures of 1991 eclipse Dynamic range of eye: 1,000,000:1; camera: 1000:1

Total Solar Eclipse 21 August 11:15 am, Riverton, WY

Don’t worry about weather

Ancients often considered an eclipse to be a bad omen

Astronomers consider an eclipse to be a wonderful opportunity to study the universe and see it in action!