On October 14th, an annular solar eclipse was visible from much of the Western, SouthWest United States and Central America. It made first contact with land in Oregon around 12:15 p.m. Eastern time and around 1:15 p.m. Eastern Time, it slid off the coast of Texas towards Brazil. There are three types of eclipses, Annular, Partial, and Total. An annular eclipse, which we had on Saturday, happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, but is farther away from Earth,so it does not completely cover the Sun. This type of eclipse is often referred to as a "ring of fire" due to the distinctive shape the sun takes as it is partially blocked by the moon. A partial eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth but they are not perfectly lined up resulting in a crescent shaped Sun. And, a total eclipse is just that, the Moon and Sun line up perfectly so that the Moon completely covers the Sun.
Unfortunately, here in Lindenhurst, we were unable to see the annular eclipse live due to the weather. But Children’s Librarian, Jessica, didn’t let that stop her from hosting a viewing party in the Venetian Room. She showed NASA’s live stream on Youtube from New Mexico and Texas. Those that were in attendance got to experience the breathtaking “ring of fire” twice! There was also Planetary Checkers, Space-themed Lego building, coloring, books, and button making at the viewing party.
Stay tuned for next year when we get eclipse number 2! Monday, April 8th, 2024 this side of the United States will get a Total Eclipse. This is the day you’ll want to stop what you’re doing, get your solar eclipse glasses, and watch the Moon block the Sun for an entire 4 minutes!
Want to read up on the Moon and Sun before the next eclipse? Then you’re going to want to check out these great reads:
The Sun and the Moon by Carolyn Cinami DeCristofano
Luna : the science and stories of our moon by David A. Aguilar
The Solar System Through Infographics by Nadia Higgins
Earth and the Moon by Rebecca Stefoff