A dark shadow will fall across the United States on Monday and some people are going wild. They’ve planned vacations and reserved hotel rooms across the center of the part of the country to see a full total eclipse of the sun.
NASA says the eclipse is caused as the moon moves across the path of the sun and blocks it. For the first time since 1918, a total eclipse will go from shore to shore in the U.S. Darkness will fall as the moon covers the sun.
All of the country will be able to see a partial eclipse, but the total eclipse will go only in a pathway across the middle of the America, from Oregon to South Carolina.
Orange County won’t fall under the full shadow, but the sun will be 70 percent covered by the moon here. The moon will begin to touch an edge of the sun at 11:49 a.m. CDT. The maximum 70 percent will be reached at 1:20 p.m. As the moon moves, the eclipsed part of the sun will decrease and end at 2:49 p.m.
However, don’t think the moon is actually moving close to the sun. NASA says the sun is 400 times bigger than the moon and it’s about 100 million miles, more or less, from the moon. During an eclipse, the moon moves through the sky and blocks the view of the sun.
NASA says a solar eclipse occurs almost every 18 months. Most of the Earth, though, is ocean and the eclipses can’t be seen from land.
Scientists and doctors warn against looking directly at the sun at any time. Special solar eclipse glasses are sold, but some have been recalled because they don’t meet standards. Don’t look around Orange for the glasses. Calls to several stores reveal the glasses are not being sold here. The Kroger store had some earlier in the week but they sold out quickly. Most internet vendors, including Amazon, have the glasses on back order.
The glasses should also be used with caution. Adult eclipse glasses will not fit children. Homemade eclipse boxes, often made by school children for decades, are still a proven way to see the crescent-look of the sun as the moon moves across.
Another safe way to watch the eclipse will be on NASA television. The agency has special eclipse news on its website. The site has apps for smartphones, tablets and pads, laptops and even Apple TV to watch.
Still, people interested in the eclipse should go outside at some time. With 70 percent coverage, the outdoors won’t be as bright. Tree leaves, especially on live oak trees, form a natural filter. Look on the ground under a large tree. The sunbeams will be in a crescent shape. You’ll be able to see dozens of the crescents under a tree.
Also, the temperature will drop slightly as the sun is blocked from the earth. NASA is also looking for “citizen scientists” to record temperatures and winds during phases of the eclipse. The website has how to report the information.
All the information, preparations and precautions could be for naught. The first part of seeing a solar eclipse, is being able to see the sun. Clouds can prevent the view. At this time, the National Weather Service predicts Orange will have partly cloudy skies on Monday with a 40 percent chance of rain or thunderstorms.
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