EarthSky // Page 2

What’s the best way to view a solar eclipse safely?

Watching a solar eclipse through special filters. You could use these to watch the May 20-21 annular or ring eclipse, and the June 5-6 transit of Venus. Buy them here. Image via Dionne Bunsha.

You must find a way to protect your eyes if you plan to watch either the annular solar eclipse on May 20-21, 2012 or the transit of Venus on June 5-6, 2012 – or both events. You have options.

  • Solar eclipse glasses from commercial manufacturers.
  • Welder’s glass, #14 or darker.
  • A home-rigged indirect viewing method.
  • A local astronomy club that is hosting a viewing.

Whatever you do, never look at the sun directly without a safe filter in place to protect your eyes.

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When is the next lunar eclipse?

Partial phase of December 10, 2011 total lunar eclipse as seen by Arun Pg in Kerala, India. The June 4, 2012 partial lunar eclipse will look about like this at its maximum. Image Credit: Arun Pg

There will be two lunar eclipses in 2012 – a partial eclipse on June 4, 2012 and a very subtle penumbral eclipse on November 28, 2012. 2012′s partial eclipse will be a morning event on June 4 for North America, but people in Australia and Asia see the eclipse on the evening of June 4. At maximum eclipse, approximately one-third of the moon’s face will be covered by Earth’s dark umbral shadow. The moon’s contact times with Earth’s shadows for the June 4, 2012 partial lunar eclipse are listed inside.

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May 20-21 eclipse of sun is part of a longer cycle

Image copyright Fred Espenak. Used with permission.

By Fred Espenak

If we look 18 years into the past, we find that there was an annular solar eclipse on May 10, 1994. This eclipse passed centrally through the USA, and I photographed it near Toledo, Ohio. Those photos will give you a preview of what the May 20, 2012 eclipse will look like because the moon and sun are nearly at the same positions and distances as they were during the 1994 eclipse.

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At least four dead after strong earthquake in northern Italy

Castello Estense, a medieval tower in northern Italy, suffered damaged in the May 20, 2012 earthquake that shook the region.

What seismologists say is “one of the strongest earthquakes to shake northern Italy” shook the region around Bologna early Sunday. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is now reporting it as a magnitude-6.0 temblor. It took place at 2:03 UTC, or 4:30 a.m. at the epicenter. Various media outlets are reporting that it killed at least six people, toppled buildings and sent residents running into the streets. At least one strong aftershock (5.1-magnitude) and one smaller aftershock has occurred since then.

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First named storm of 2012 Atlantic hurricane season has formed

Tropical Storm Alberto is very small and disorganized near the South Carolina coast. Yellow box indicates the possible storm track. Image Credit: CIMSS

The first named storm for the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season has formed across the western Atlantic Ocean. Tropical Storm Alberto developed during the afternoon hours of Saturday, May 19, 2012. The 5 p.m. EDT advisory reported a tropical storm with sustained winds of 45 miles per hour and a barometric pressure of 1007 millibars. Two hours later, a special weather advisory was issued around 7 p.m. EDT reporting that a ship recorded a much stronger storms with winds sustained at 60 mph and a barometric pressure of 995 mb. As of now, Alberto is slightly weaker and will likely fluctuate in intensity since the storm is so small and outside forces can greatly impact the system. Alberto should not be a direct threat to land, and will eventually push northeastward out to sea.

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EarthSky 22: Solar eclipse, lunar eclipse

Watching a solar eclipse

Host: Jorge Salazar
Lead Producer: Mike Brennan

Song of the week:

Shearwater’s “You as You Were” from their new album Animal Joy. Shearwater are out on their US tour now; European tour starts in June. Catch them if you can!

This week’s featured stories:

Global Night Sky: Solar Eclipse, Lunar Eclipse Jorge Salazar and Deborah Byrd talk about the solar eclipse this weekend, and the lunar eclipse coming up on the morning of June 4.

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Effects of May 17 solar flare expected May 19

Monster sunspot 1476 sent a parting blast our way, as the sun’s rotation was carrying it from view. The beautiful movie below shows a coronal mass ejection, or CME, hurtling into space from the sun on May 17, 2012. Its effects might deliver a glancing blow to Earth tomorrow (May 19).

May 17, 2012 coronal mass ejection (CME)

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A very distant star, Deneb, and measuring star distances

The star Deneb – visible by mid-evening every May – is one of the most distant of the bright stars. When you gaze at this star, you are gazing across a great distance of space. The exact distance to Deneb is not known for certain, with estimates ranging from about 1,425 light-years to perhaps as much as 7,000 light-years.

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A cell’s first steps: Building a model to explain how cells grow

An illustration of the Lehigh mathematical model shows the evolution of Cdc42 distribution during cell growth, as cells transition toward a symmetric, or growth state.

A collaboration between Lehigh University physicists and University of Miami biologists addresses an important fundamental question in basic cell biology: How do living cells figure out when and where to grow?

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The most amazing ring eclipse photo ever

Photo of January 15, 2010 annular or ring eclipse. Mottling, or granulation, caused by heat convection in the sun's atmosphere can be seen around the dark lunar disk. Credit & Copyright: Mikael Svalgaard: Mikael Svalgaard. Used with permission.

Click here to expand image above

We’ve been looking at a lot of annular eclipse photos recently, as we’ve prepared information for you in advance of the May 20-21, 2012 China to Texas annular or ring eclipse. Here’s more about that upcoming eclipse. This is the most amazing annular eclipse photo we found, by Mikael Svalgaard. It shows the annular eclipse or January 15, 2010.

Be sure to click to expand!

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