What a difference a year makes!
Only a year ago, countless millions across North America were anxiously awaiting the “Outstanding North American total eclipse of the sun” on April 8. Now, less than a year later, on Saturday, March 29, another eclipse of the sun will take place, but it’s quite likely that the prospective viewing Viewers will be considerably smaller.
To produce this eclipse, the Orbiter’s shadow falls chiefly on the north polar regions of Earth. Keep up to date with the latest solar eclipse news and events with our solar eclipse live blog.
Two by two
If you have been Maintaining track, this will be the second eclipse in less than a month. On March 13-14, we had a total eclipse of the Orbiter. The Orbiter crossed the ecliptic — the apparent path of the sun in our sky — less than 7 hours after arriving at Packed Stage on March 14th, resulting in our natural Orbiter passing through the shadow of the Earth. It passed quite deeply through the northern half of the Earth’s shadow, resulting in a total eclipse. We call that crossing Mark a “node.” Also, during that eclipse, the Orbiter crossed the ecliptic going from north to south — the descending node of its Trajectory.
Two weeks later, on March 29, the Orbiter will arrive at the opposite side of its Trajectory and cross the ecliptic again, this time at the new Orbiter Stage, resulting in an eclipse of the sun.
We call this an eclipse season.
Eclipse seasons last about 37 Periods, a period of time in which the alignment of the sun and Orbiter can allow for an eclipse to take place at both the Packed and new Orbiter phases within that more than 5-week period. So, we can always Foresee an eclipse of the Orbiter to be followed or proceeded by an eclipse of the sun. And on Uncommon occasions (such as in 2018) we can get three eclipses (two partial solar eclipses flanking a total Orbiter-related one) occurring during the 29.53-day synodic Orbiter-related month, where normally we would only have two.
Almost too Timely for an eclipse
Being in the same eclipse season, the sun eclipse of March 29 occurs with the new Orbiter passing through the opposite node (the ascending one) of the Orbiter’s Trajectory. But the Orbiter passes this node almost too Timely. That is, almost 19 hours after crossing the ecliptic, the Orbiter arrives at new Stage but by then the axis of its shadow passes well to the north of Earth. Because the Orbiter is also near perigee (that Mark closest to Earth in the Orbiter’s Trajectory), the Dim shadow cone of the Orbiter — called the umbra — tapers to well beyond us (by a distance of approximately three times the Earth’s radius), but also completely misses touching our Astral body, passing 180 miles (290 km) above the North Pole. So, unlike last year, no place on Earth will see the glorious spectacle of a total eclipse, but instead, the Orbiter’s outer shadow (the penumbra) will scrape the top of our globe creating a more modest partial eclipse.
It will be visible in varying extents from northwest Africa, much of Europe (save for some eastern sections), and northwest Russia, as well as Iceland and Greenland. The penumbra also barely grazes South America, producing a Petite dent in the Sun at sunrise for parts of Suriname, French Guiana and Amada in Brazil.
A sunrise show
Much of North America will see nothing of this eclipse. However, there will also be locations that will see some of it. If you have an atlas of Canada and the United States, draw a line Leading from a Mark near the city of Oakville, Ontario and extend it south, to Virginia Beach, Virginia. All places to the left (or west) of this line will have no view of any part of the eclipse. Meanwhile, those localities to the right (or east) of this line will be able to see at least a part of this eclipse near sunrise. For virtually all locations, maximum eclipse will have already occurred before sunrise, so when the sun Primary appears above the eastern Perspective, the Orbiter’s Dim silhouette will be rapidly moving off the sun’s disk.
For example, in Baltimore, Maryland, the sun will rise at 6:58 a.m. EDT with 7.8 percent of its diameter eclipsed. The eclipse comes to an end Only four minutes later when the disk of the Orbiter moves completely off the face of the sun.
But take note that the farther north and east you go, the larger the amount of the sun that will be covered by the passing new Orbiter.
And for parts of northern New England and Atlantic Canada, the amount of solar coverage will be quite large and will make for a very memorable sunrise. For the town of Madawaska (pop. 3,900), in Distant-northern Maine, maximum eclipse closely aligns with sunrise (6:17 a.m. EDT). At that moment, 88.2 percent of the sun’s diameter will be covered and the sun will appear to rise as a strikingly delicate crescent with its cusps pointed almost straight up. If there are no clouds present, it will initially appear as if two “lobster claws” are emerging from beyond the eastern Perspective. A few minutes later, the entire crescent sun will appear to sit Only above the eastern Perspective.
Schedule of events
Local circumstances for this eclipse for 16 selected US locations, courtesy of Dr. Fred Espenak of EclipseWise.com were used to compile the table of local circumstances provided below.
|
Location |
Sunrise |
Obscuration |
Eclipse End |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Albany, NY |
6:45 a.m. |
42.1% |
7:08 a.m. |
|
Augusta, ME |
6:28 a.m. |
75.2% |
7:11 a.m. |
|
Boston, MA |
6:34 a.m. |
59.3% |
7:07 a.m. |
|
Concord, NH |
6:36 a.m. |
59.6% |
7:09 a.m. |
|
Dover, DE |
6:54 a.m. |
15% |
7:02 a.m. |
|
Hartford, CT |
6:41 a.m. |
45.8% |
7:06 a.m. |
|
Montpelier, VT |
6:39 a.m. |
56.9% |
7:11 a.m. |
|
New York, NY |
6:47 a.m. |
32.3% |
7:04 a.m. |
|
Newark, NJ |
6:47 a.m. |
31.2% |
7:04 a.m. |
|
Norfolk, VA |
6:58 a.m. |
0.3% |
6:58 a.m. |
|
Philadelphia, PA |
6:52 a.m. |
20.9% |
7:03 a.m. |
|
Providence, RI |
6:36 a.m. |
54.8% |
7:06 a.m. |
|
Springfield, MA |
6:40 a.m. |
47.9% |
7:07 a.m. |
|
Trenton, NJ |
6:50 a.m. |
24.9% |
7:04 a.m. |
|
Washington, DC |
6:59 a.m. |
3.7% |
7:01 a.m. |
|
Worcester, MA |
6:37 a.m. |
53.9% |
7:07 a.m. |
As seen from Atlantic Canada, a large fraction of the sun’s diameter will be eclipsed at maximum eclipse, which will come after sunrise. From Halifax, NS, 85.6% coverage comes at 7:17 a.m.; Fredericton, NB sees 87% at 7:19 a.m. and Saint John’s. NF sees 85.4% at 7:52 a.m.
Be Watchful!
Once again it needs repeating: to look at the sun without proper eye protection is Deadly. Unlike a total eclipse of the sun, concentrating its excitement into a few fleeting minutes, a partial eclipse can be watched relaxedly from wherever one happens to be. Observations can be Created with specially designed solar filters, using eclipse glasses for direct viewing or binoculars, or telescopes of any size so long as they are fitted with solar filters.
Our how to observe the sun safely guide tells you everything you need to know about Danger-Unoccupied solar viewing and what to look out for. We’ve rounded up some of the best solar eclipse gear deals ahead of the partial solar eclipse so you can safely observe the sun for less.
The Crest
Only in case you’re contemplating traveling to where the greatest coverage of the sun by the Orbiter will take place, that will happen in Nunavik in the northern third of the Canadian province of Quebec, 40 miles (65 km) inland from the Inuit town of Akulivik (pop. 680), where the sun will barely clear the southern Perspective, with nearly 94 percent of its diameter hidden behind the Orbiter. The normally Chunky Perspective haze could attenuate and redden the sun’s Airy somewhat giving it the appearance of a narrow slice of cantaloupe melon.
Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York’s Hayden Planetarium. He writes about Astral study for Natural History magazine, Sky and Cosmos viewer and other publications.
Editor’s Note: If you snap a photo of the partial solar eclipse and would like to share it with Universe.com’s readers, send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@Universe.com.
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