The West PacificBoard

I should have a comfortable seat for the eclipse:

Overthinkers wrote:

While your compliance is appreciated, I, in my infinite generosity, have chosen to allow every nation to vote according to their own wishes.

OK. But I wil vote what you vote. Thanks for the freedorm

can someone rate my flag? i made it myself

Fetheray wrote:

I can't wait to see totality tomorrow, I've heard it's the first total eclipse in ~130 years!

There’s usually a total eclipse somewhere on the planet at least once a year. I really don’t know where you got the figure of 130 from.

Murkovia wrote:

can someone rate my flag? i made it myself

I’d Rate Your Flag An 8/10

BBD’s Astronomy Spot - Total Eclipse Special

Before I start a safety warning.

DO NOT LOOK AT THE SUN WITHOUT APPROPRIATE PROTECTION EITHER WITH THE NAKED EYE OR WITH OPTICAL EQUIPMENT. YOU HAVE ONLY ONE PAIR OF EYES - DON’T DAMAGE THEM.

Okay, so what I would like to tell you about are the things to look out for during tomorrow’s total eclipse of the Sun. Everything below is what you would expect to see if you’re stationed on the path of totality.

Partial Phase
As the partial phase increases the local weather will change. The most noticeable thing will be a drop in temperature. A low humidity region could see a decrease of 8 - 14 degrees C, less if the humidity is higher.

The temperature change can also decrease the cloud cover. A 10 year study has shown a decrease in cumulus clouds when the Sun is only 15% covered, which may be good news for those of you whose forecast is a bit rubbish.

As the partial phase increases the sky will darken and birds will start to roost. Also if you have any leafy bushes around check for projected images of the partially eclipsed Sun - the gaps between the leaves can act as pinhole cameras.

Just Before Totality
About 30 seconds before (and after) totality shadow bands may appear. These are wiggly, rapidly moving bands of light and dark that can appear on flat, white surfaces. They don’t appear at every eclipse and astronomers are still not sure what causes them. Still, worth looking out for.

Just before totality on the leading edge of the Moon the Sun will shine down lunar valleys giving rise to a phenomenon known as “Bailey’s Beads”. These quickly decrease in number until only one is left - a diamond ring. Then totality starts.

Totality
The first thing to look for is a pinkish-red rim around the Sun, its lower atmosphere, the chromosphere. Normally you need a special telescope to see this, but it will be clearly seen during the total phase. As the Sun is close to maximum activity there’s a good chance of seeing prominences. These appear like flames rising up from the Sun. They can take the form of loops, arches or long sheets. They’re not flames, of course, but plasma suspended above the solar surface by immensely powerful magnetic fields.

There were some nice, active prominences visible today when I observed the Sun, on the south-east and south-west limbs. They can be empheral, but there’s a good chance they’ll still be there tomorrow and visible during totality.

Next, observe the Sun’s outer atmosphere, the corona. Pearly-white in colour you will see many jets, streamers and spikes in it. This is typical of the corona close to solar maximum. If you’ve ever wondered what 1,000,000 degrees K looks like then wonder no more. The corona is extremely hot, but also very, very tenuous. We still don’t fully understand how the corona is heated, how the temperature goes from 6,000 degrees K to over a million - astronomy still has mysteries.

The Sky
During totality Jupiter and Venus will be clearly visible to the naked eye. If you have some binoculars scan close to Jupiter and you should see Comet Pons-Brooks.

This comet is a Halley type object returning to the inner solar system after 71 years. It is getting close to its predicted maximum brightness, but this is a comet that has outbursts and it had one earlier this week. This could make it nice and easy to find.

A map of the sky during totality can be found here:

https://spaceweather.com/images2024/21feb24/skymap2.png

End Of Totality
A diamond ring appearing on the opposite limb of the Moon signals the end of the total phase.

To those of you living on the path and those of you travelling to see the eclipse I wish you good luck and clear skies.

Murkovia wrote:

can someone rate my flag? i made it myself

10/10 Very cool

Murkovia wrote:

can someone rate my flag? i made it myself

8.5/10, it's pretty good!

-a-a-a- wrote:

I would assume they meant that 130 years ago was the last time there was a total eclipse in their area, I could be wrong though. I actually never knew total eclipses are generally yearly; I thought they were typically every other year.

Yeah, that's what I meant.