ANNULAR "RING OF FIRE" ECLIPSE

        Saturday, October 14--roughly from 10:30ish through 1:30ish, there will be an "annular" solar eclipse--where the moon appears to be in front of the sun but doesn't quite cover it, so there is a bright ring around the dark disk of the moon for a few minutes. Here in Leon Valley we get to see it about as full-on as it gets, and then in six months, a total solar eclipse (April 8) will occur!  

        The area within the red lines on the map shows the course of the eclipse and the area of totality--outside the lines there is still an eclipse, but it would be partial.

 

        The maximum "ring of fire" effect will be about 11:54am here, lasting a little over four minutes. You do not want to look at it directly without some sort of solar lens protection, though, as it might be the last thing you look at! You can project the light of the sun through a pinhole and watch the projected sun disk change shape, or you can watch the event online, or you can look at it with a good pair of solar eclipse sunglasses. Just don't look directly at it with unaided eyes or it may french-fry your retinas.

Here is a list of interesting websites to check out to find out about the eclipse(s):

Information tables about when & where the eclipses will be:
https://www.scigames.org/eclipse/#total-table

Interactive map--see how the eclipse will appear in Leon Valley or another city by playing around with the sliders:  https://eclipse2024.org/eclipse_cities/statemap.html

More information about Leon Valley and the annular eclipse:
https://eclipse2024.org/2023eclipse/eclipse-cities/city/40208.html

Leon Valley and the April total eclipse:
https://eclipse2024.org/eclipse-cities/city/39200.html?searchqry=Leon+Valley+Texas%2C+USA

and some nice videos about the topic:

"Ring of Fire" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLKgT2rR_ZU

"Total Eclipse Of The Sun"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=181RpmRtFYo&list=PLAJ3J5OEZMuJsxT8o7IbOJfi0atidkXd8&index=3

"All About the April 8 2024 Total Solar Eclipse" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_AT01RUzr4

We've been celebrating the eclipse at the library with a short series of programs and activities.  Check out our calendar if you're interested! 

In the meantime, watch for shadows! 🌚