Total Solar Eclipse

In 2017, over 200 million Americans witnessed the spectacular total eclipse of the Sun, and the 2024 eclipse is expected to draw even larger crowds. In anticipation of this upcoming event, this book takes us back in history over 150 years, telling the story of the nation's first ever eclipse chasers. Our tale follows the chaotic journeys of scientists and amateur astronomers as they trekked across the western United States to view the rare phenomenon of a total solar eclipse. The fascinating story centers on the expeditions of the 1869 total eclipse, which took place during the turbulent age of the chimerical Planet Vulcan and Civil War Reconstruction.   The protagonists--a motley crew featuring astronomical giants like Simon Newcomb and pioneering female astronomers like Maria Mitchell--were met with unanticipated dangers, mission-threatening accidents, and eccentric characters only the West could produce. Theirs is a story of astronomical proportions. Along the way, we will make several stops across the booming US railroad network, traveling from viewing sites as familiar as Des Moines, Iowa, to ones as distant and strange as newly acquired Alaska. From equipment failures and botched preparations to quicksand and apocalyptic 'comets', welcome to the wild, western world of solar eclipses.

America's First Great Eclipse takes readers on a thrilling historical journey, revealing that nineteenth-century Americans were just as excited about a total solar eclipse as we are today ... and, like us, were willing to travel thousands of miles to see it.

With this "suspenseful narrative history" (Maureen Corrigan, NPR's Fresh Air), award-winning science writer David Baron tells the story of the enterprising scientists--among them, planet hunter James Craig Watson, pioneering astronomer Maria Mitchell, and ambitious young inventor Thomas Edison--who raced to Wyoming and Colorado in the summer of 1878, at the dawn of the Gilded Age, to observe the first great American eclipse. Thrillingly recreating the fierce jockeying of these nineteenth-century astronomers, Baron draws on years of "exhaustive research to reconstruct a remarkable chapter of U.S. history" (Lee Billings, Scientific American), when the fate of American science still hung precariously in the balance. Now updated with an afterword that unites eclipses and eclipse-chasers past and present--revisiting the total solar eclipse of 2017 and looking forward to that of 2024--American Eclipse reveals the enduring power of these ethereal events to bring people together across space and time.

This book explores the growth of the astrotourism, identifies star seeker trends, how the stars have shaped civilizations, and the budding space tourism industry. In the span of a single lifetime, light pollution from Artificial Light At Night (ALAN) has severed our connection with the stars that we've had since the dawn of time. With the nocturnal biosphere significantly altered, light's anthropogenic influence has compelled millions of people to seek out the last remaining dark skies. This book explores the growth of the astrotourism, identifies star seeker trends, how the stars have shaped civilizations, and the budding space tourism industry. Learn ways to develop a destination, find customers, and our relationship with the night sky. Meteor storms, eclipses, auroras, and other celestial phenomena have lured travelers for years and here the author expands the field of astrotourism with the inclusion of astronomical clocks, megaliths, and sundials, which track the movement of the stars.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars: Resistance Reborn comes the "engrossing and vibrant" (Tochi Onyebuchi, author of Riot Baby) first book in the Between Earth and Sky trilogy inspired by the civilizations of the Pre-Columbian Americas and woven into a tale of celestial prophecies, political intrigue, and forbidden magic. A god will return / When the earth and sky converge / Under the black sun. In the holy city of Tova, the winter solstice is usually a time for celebration and renewal, but this year it coincides with a solar eclipse, a rare celestial even proscribed by the Sun Priest as an unbalancing of the world. Meanwhile, a ship launches from a distant city bound for Tova and set to arrive on the solstice. The captain of the ship, Xiala, is a disgraced Teek whose song can calm the waters around her as easily as it can warp a man's mind. Her ship carries one passenger. Described as harmless, the passenger, Serapio is a young man, blind, scarred, and cloaked in destiny. As Xiala well knows, when a man is described as harmless, he usually ends up being a villain. Crafted with unforgettable characters, Rebecca Roanhorse has created a "brilliant world that shows the full panoply of human grace and depravity" (Ken Liu, award-winning author of The Grace of Kings). This epic adventure explores the decadence of power amidst the weight of history and the struggle of individuals swimming against the confines of society and their broken pasts in this "absolutely tremendous" (S.A. Chakraborty, nationally bestselling author of The City of Brass) and most original series debut of the decade.

Much of what is known about the universe came from the study of celestial shadows. This book looks in detail at the way eclipses and other celestial shadows have given us amazing insights into the nature of the objects in our solar system and how they are even helping us discover and analyze planets that orbit stars other than our Sun. A variety of eclipses, transits, and occultations of the mooons of Jupiter and Saturn, Pluto and its satellite Charon, asteroids and stars have helped astronomers to work out their dimensions, structures, and shapes - even the existence of atmospheres and structures of exoplanets. Long before Columbus set out to reach the Far East by sailing West, the curved shadow of the Earth on the Moon during a lunar eclipse revealed that we inhabit a round world, a globe. More recently, comparisons of the sunlit and Earthlit parts of the Moon have been used to determine changes in the Earth's brightness as a way of monitoring possible effects in cloud coverage which may be related to global warming. Shadows were used by the Greek mathematician Eratosthenes to work out the first estimate of the circumference of the Earth, by Galileo to measure the heights of the lunar mountains and by eighteenth century astronomers to determine the scale of the Solar System itself. Some of the rarest and most wonderful shadows of all are those cast onto Earth by the lovely "Evening Star" Venus as it goes between the Earth and the Sun. These majestic transits of Venus occur at most two in a century; after the 2012 transit, there is not a chance to observe this phenomenon until 2117, while the more common sweep of a total solar eclipse creates one of the most dramatic and awe-inspiring events of nature. Though it may have once been a source of consternation or dread, solar eclipses now lead thousands of amateur astronomers and "eclipse-chasers" to travel the globe in order to experience the dramatic view under "totality." These phenomena are among the most spectacular available to observers and are given their full due in Westfall and Sheehan's comprehensive study.

A boy and his dad experience a total solar eclipse in this heartwarming picture book by author and illustrator Andy Rash. Shimmering rays shine around the moon. I try not to blink. We are in the perfect place at the perfect time. After hearing about the total solar eclipse happening in two months, a boy makes a plan with his father to go see it. They drive to the perfect campsite, not wanting to miss the couple of minutes when the sun will be completely hidden by the moon. When the moment happens, being together makes it even more special. Based on a trip that author-illustrator Andy Rash took with his son to see the eclipse in August 2017, Eclipse is a heartfelt and playfully illustrated ode to seeking out unique adventures and savoring the most special moments with the people you love. Back matter about eclipses and maps of eclipses' paths across the United States make this book perfect for the STEAM curriculum.

Explains in simple terms what happens during a solar eclipse.

This is the exciting account -- from the Stone Age to the Space Age -- of humankind's perpetual fascination with the most fleeting and beautiful spectacle in all of Nature: the total eclipse of the Sun. The recurrence of this perfect alignment of the Sun, the Moon, and the Earth has inspired fear and reverence from different cultures all across this planet. Against the backdrop of our modern scientific understanding, the ancient symbolism of this truly awesome event survives as a reminder of our time and place in the universe.

In 1915, British astronomer Arthur Stanley Eddington was fascinated with Einstein's new theory of general relativity. The theory talks about how forces push and pull objects in space. Einstein said that the sun's gravity could pull and bend light. To test this, astronomers decided to photograph the 1919 solar eclipse. The eclipse would allow them to photograph the stars before and during the solar eclipse. If the star's position moved, then it was evidence that that light had bent. Eddington and his team traveled from England to the island of Principe, just off the African coast, to photograph the eclipse. In simple language, this nonfiction illustrated picture book explains how the push (acceleration) and pull (gravity) of space affects light. Back matter includes information on Einstein, Eddington, and the original photograph of the 1919 solar eclipse. "The text of the book is wonderfully clear and easy to follow, and the illustrations are great, both lively and informative. The story of the eclipse unfolds dramatically, and the science is explained vividly and correctly." Daniel John Kennefick, Astrophysicist and Science Historian.

On 21 August 2017, over 100 million people will gather in a narrow belt across the USA to witness the most watched total solar eclipse in history. Eclipse - Journeys to the Dark Side of the Moon, written by the widely read popular science author Frank Close, describes the spellbinding allure of this most beautiful natural phenomenon. The book explains why eclipses happen, reveals their role in history, literature and myth, and focuses on eclipse chasers, who travel with ecstatic fervour to some of the most inaccessible places on the globe to be present at the moment of totality. The book includes the author's quest to solve a 3000 years old mystery: how did the moon move backwards during a total solar eclipse, as claimed in the Book of Joshua?It is an inspirational tale: how a teacher and an eclipse inspired the author, aged eight, to a life in science, and a love affair with eclipses, which takes him to a war zone in the Western Sahara, to the South Pacific and the African bush. The tale comes full circle with another eight-year old boy - the author's grandson - at the 2017 great American eclipse. Readers of all ages will be drawn to this inspirational chronicle of the mesmerizing experience of total solar eclipse.

Whether interpreted as an auspicious omen or a sentinel of doom, eclipses have had a profound effect upon our cultural development. Throughout recorded history, they have evoked consternation, fear, and dread "as well as awe and wonderment. Ancient peoples were clearly disconcerted by them. The Romans marked pivotal battles with the Greeks by references to an eclipse. The date of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ has been derived by using biblical mentions of an eclipse. Perhaps most famously, Christopher Columbus extorted much-needed foodstuffs from some increasingly unfriendly native hosts by purporting to demonstrate the wrath of his most powerful God when he accurately predicted a lunar eclipse. The pattern that eclipses follow "a cycle, called the saros "was actually calculated thousands of years ago. However, it is only with the help of modern computers that we have been able to analyze and appreciate the data. Eclipses provide unique opportunities for today (TM)s scientists to study such contrasting phenomena as the upper layers of the sun, the slowdown of our planet (TM)s spin rate, and the effects of celestial events on human psychology. In Eclipse, Duncan Steel expertly captures our continuing fascination with all manner of eclipses "including the familiar solar and lunar varieties and other kinds involving stars, planets, asteroids, and comets as well as distant galaxies and quasars. Steel helps us see that, in astronomical terms, eclipses are really rather straightforward affairs. Moving beyond the mysticism and the magic, the science of eclipses is revealed.

Astronomy was a popular and important part of Victorian science, and British astronomers carried telescopes and spectroscopes to remote areas of India, the Great Plains of North America, and islands in the Caribbean and Pacific to watch the sun eclipsed by the moon. Examining the rich interplay between science, culture, and British imperial society in the late nineteenth century, this book shows how the organization and conduct of scientific fieldwork was structured by contemporary politics and culture, and how rapid and profound changes in the organization of science, advances in photography, and new printing technology remade the character of scientific observation. After introducing the field of Victorian science to the nonspecialist, the book examines the long periods of planning necessary for eclipse expeditions, and it recounts the day-to-day work of getting to field sites, setting up camp, and preparing for and observing eclipses. Operating behind the countless decisions made by scientists was a host of large-scale forces, including the professionalization and specialization of disciplines, the growth of service, and public funding for the sciences. Fieldwork also required close coordination with the many institutions and technological systems of British imperialism. The development of imaging technologies was, of course, crucial to observations of the solar corona. Eclipse observation taxed astronomers and their cameras to their limits, and it raised new questions about the trustworthiness of imaging technologies. In the late nineteenth century, scientists shifted from drawing to photographing natural phenomena, but the shift occurred gradually, unevenly, and against resistance. Victorian astronomers had to weigh carefully the merits of human and mechanical observation, and the difficulties of solar photography highlight the inseparability of images from technologies of observation and printing.

And as streams of light fan out behind the darkened sun like the wings of a butterfly, I realize that I never saw real beauty until now. At Moon Shadow, an isolated campground, thousands have gathered to catch a glimpse of a rare and extraordinary total eclipse of the sun. It's also were three lives are about to be changed forever: Ally likes the simple things in life--labyrinths, star-gazing, and comet-hunting. Her home, the Moon Shadow campground, is a part of who she is, and she refuses to imagine it any other way. Popular and gorgeous (everybody says so), Bree is a future homecoming queen for sure. Bree wears her beauty like a suit of armor. But what is she trying to hide? Overweight and awkward, Jack is used to spending a lot of time alone. But when opportunity knocks, he finds himself in situations he never would have imagined and making friends in the most unexpected situations. Told from three distinct voices and perspectives, Wendy Mass weaves an intricate and compelling story about strangers coming together, unlikely friendships, and finding one's place in the universe.

A poetic and exquisitely illustrated tribute to the solar eclipse and the magic of togetherness, seen through the eyes of a child. What happens during a solar eclipse? The sun vanishes. Light becomes dark. Day animals sleep, and night animals wake. The moon takes over the sky. People stop what they're doing and together, they look up. The whole world changes for a few beautiful minutes. Celebrating a favorite wonder of the universe, A Few Beautiful Minutes encourages young readers to (safely) discover each stage of a solar eclipse, and to experience how this incredible phenomenon can connect us to one another.

Do you want to learn how to take photographs of an exciting Solar or Lunar Eclipse? Do you have the right equipment for the job? Do you want to know ALL the tips and techniques needed to make this a success? A total Solar Eclipse is an incredible sight to behold. It is one of nature's most awe-inspiring events and has been the subject of amazement, wonder and fear throughout the ages. But they don't come around very often. In fact, the last total solar eclipse in North America was 40 years ago. In 2017, however, you will have another chance to witness this rare phenomenon as another total solar eclipse will occur on the 21st August of that year. Now, with How to Take Pictures of an Eclipse, you can be prepared to capture this unique moment as well as other solar and lunar eclipses with information on: Safety warnings; The basics you'll need to know; Getting the images you really want; What sort of camera to use; Using a telescope; Motorised mounts; And much more...Capturing this amazing, once-in-a-generation event is something that you won't want to miss out on and capturing the best shots of it is crucial when it comes to the bragging rights.

Outil à la fois simple et précis, le manuel des éclipses permet une description et une compréhension totale de cette manifestation céleste: comment se produit-elle, quand, avec quelle périodicité… De nombreuses cartes de visibilité et des schémas donnent une vision globale des éclipses. Le lecteur trouvera également des conseils techniques et pratiques pour l'observation, ainsi qu'une partie consacrée à l'histoire de leur connaissance depuis l'antiquité jusqu'à nos jours. Ce manuel, par son contenu clair et son glossaire très détaillé, intéressera tout lecteur passionné ou intrigué par les éclipses de Soleil et de Lune. Il s'adresse à la fois aux amateurs érudits comme aux débutants.

What do Emily Dickinson, slave revolts, Babylonian Kings, and Monticello all have in common? A solar eclipse. Whether it was deciding on the location of a grand home (or castle), inspiring poetry, timing battles and revolts, or planning expeditions, eclipses have inspired fear and fascination. Solar eclipses allowed Ptolemy to determine the length of the Mediterranean and helped Einstein establish his General Theory of Relativity. Preliterate societies recorded eclipses on turtle shells found in "The Wastes of Yin" and on the Mayan "Dresden Codex." Eclipses were later instrumental in the creation of longitude and allowed Hubble to understand the expansion of the Universe (and disprove another theory of Einstein's in the process). John Dvorak, the acclaimed author of Earthquake Storms and The Last Volcano, examines this amazing phenomena and reveals the humanism behind the science. With insightful detail and vividly accessible prose, he provides explanations as to how and why eclipses occur--as well as insight into the eclipse of 2017, which was visible across North America.

Imagine living on a planet with six suns that never experiences Darkness. Imagine never having seen the Stars. Then, one by one the suns start to set, gradually leading into Darkness for the first time ever. Kalgash is a world on the edge of chaos, torn between the madness of religious fanaticism and the unyielding rationalism of scientists. Lurking beneath it all is a collective, instinctual fear of the Darkness. For Kalgash knows only the perpetual light of day; to its inhabitants, a gathering twilight portends unspeakable horror. And only a handful of people on the planet are prepared to face the truth, their six suns are setting all at once for the first time in over two thousand years, signaling the end of civilization as it explodes in the awesome splendor of Nightfall. Encompassing the psychology of disaster, the tenacity of the human spirit, and, ultimately, the regenerative power of hope, Nightfall is a tale rich in character and suspense that only the unique collaboration of Isaac Asimov and Robert Silverberg could create.

The extraordinary story of the scientific expeditions that ushered in the era of relativity. In 1919, British scientists led expeditions to Brazil and Africa to test Albert Einstein's new theory of general relativity in what became the century's most celebrated scientific experiment. The result ushered in a new era and made Einstein a celebrity by confirming his prediction that the path of light rays would be bent by gravity. Yet the effort to "weigh light" during the May 29, 1919, solar eclipse has become clouded by myth and skepticism. Could Arthur Eddington and Frank Dyson have gotten the results they claimed? Did the pacifist Eddington falsify evidence to foster peace after a horrific war by validating the theory of a German antiwar campaigner? In No Shadow of a Doubt, Daniel Kennefick provides definitive answers by offering the most comprehensive and authoritative account of how expedition scientists overcame war, bad weather, and equipment problems to make the experiment a triumphant success.

Un libro que le ayuda a dar sus primeros pasos entre las estrellas y los planetas. Cómo escoger y cómo utilizar los instrumentos más adecuados para escrutar la bóveda celeste, (el telescopio que es útil para la observación de los planetas no lo es de hecho, para algunas galaxias que se ven mejor con unos buenos prismáticos). Técnicas y consejos para encontrar y observar los objetos más interesantes del sistema solar: Sol. Luna, planetas, asteroides y cometas. Una guía rápida para aprender a conocer nebulosas, cúmulos estelares y galaxias. El equipo del astrónomo aficionado no se acaba aquí, puede recurrir a software, mapas estelares, atlas, astrolabios, efemérides, etcétera. Cuáles son y cómo se pueden observar los fenómenos atmosféricos más espectaculares. El volumen contiene además mapas muy útiles y simplificados para encontrar, en cada estación, las principales constelaciones.

This book provides useful scientific information about the solar eclipse using clear, colorful illustrations for a young audience. Large USA maps of 2023 and 2024 eclipses are also included. On Monday, April 8th, 2024, a solar eclipse will be visible from North America. This one is very special because the path of the Moon's shadow sweeps through the continental United States. If you are lucky enough to be in the center of the eclipse path, you will see a total eclipse -- one of Nature's most spectacular celestial events. It will be an unforgettable experience. Just six months prior to that, another solar eclipse is visible from the United States. On Saturday, October 14th, 2023, an annular eclipse casts its shadow on Oregon all the way down to Texas. Since the Moon is a bit farther away from Earth on this one, a "ring of fire" is visible surrounding the dark Moon -- an amazing sight as well.

With beautiful illustrations and a detailed map, Sun Moon Earth has everything you need to get ready for the next solar eclipse. On April 8, 2024, millions of Americans will experience an awe-inspiring phenomenon: a total eclipse of the sun. In Sun Moon Earth, astronomer Tyler Nordgren illustrates how this most seemingly unnatural of natural phenomena was transformed from a fearsome omen to a tourist attraction. From the astrologers of ancient China and Babylon to the high priests of the Maya, Sun Moon Earth takes us around the world to show how different cultures interpreted these dramatic events. Greek philosophers discovered eclipses' cause and used them to measure their world and the cosmos beyond. Victorian-era scientists mounted eclipse expeditions during the age of globe-spanning empires. And modern-day physicists continue to use eclipses to confirm Einstein's theory of relativity. Beautifully illustrated and lyrically written, Sun Moon Earth is the ideal guide for all eclipse watchers and star gazers alike.

Seeing a total solar eclipse is often described as a once-in-a-lifetime experience. However, for many who have experienced totality, once-in-a-lifetime is simply not enough. They want more, and are willing to go to great lengths often at great expense to repeat the experience. What is it like to experience totality What is it about the experience that motivates these eclipse chasers? Is there an eclipse chaser personality? Can eclipse chasing actually be described as an addiction? This book describes the people who dedicate their lives to chasing their dream.

Tens of millions of people came out to view the 2017 total solar eclipse, the first in the US in nearly four decades. Now we are approaching an even more exciting, back-to-back pair of US eclipses: an annular eclipse on Oct. 14, 2023 and a total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. You won't want to miss them, and there's no better way to prepare than to use the free app "Totality by Big Kid Science" (expected to be downloaded and used by millions) and this new book written by the creator of that app. Totality! features a unique combination of rhyme and science that makes it suitable for a wide range of ages. The rhyme has been pedagogically constructed to serve as a mnemonic device for the underlying science explained with illustration and "Big Kid Box" sidebars. The book concludes with a glossary, suggested activities, and a one-page eclipse science summary -- features that will add particular value for parents and teachers learning along with their students or kids. Note: Printed books come with two pairs of eclipse glasses (placed in an envelope inside the front cover), and instructions on their use, that will allow readers to view the eclipse safely.

Totality: The Great North American Eclipse of 2024 is the most comprehensive source of information, photographs, and illustrations to help readers understand and safely enjoy all aspects of solar eclipses. It includes information on how best to photograph and video record an eclipse, as well as abundant maps, diagrams, and charts, as well as covering the science, history, mythology, and folklore of eclipses. This new edition focuses especially on the eclipse of April 8, 2024 that passes across Mexico, the United States, and Canada, including detailed maps, precise locations, and weather prospects.