A show in the heavens
Take time to marvel at the wonder of a solar eclipse on Monday
Humans have looked with wonder toward the heavens since our earliest days as a species. The constellations inspired stories told around life-sustaining fires and passed from tribe to tribe and from generation to generation. The planets fascinated and confounded great thinkers and the uneducated alike. Sailors relied on the stars to guide them out to sea and safely home again.
Monday’s total solar eclipse is another link in that chain stretching back millennia. Millions of people are expected to travel significant distances in order to experience the celestial dance fully, in what’s called the “path of totality.” It promises to be the largest national communal experience this year — and maybe for years to come.
Some 31.5 million people live in the path of totality, places where the moon will completely obscure the face of the sun for a period of time. This year, that’s as long as 4 minutes, depending on location. Between 1 million and 4 million people are expected to travel for it.
Veteran observers of total solar eclipse describe the experience as life-changing. Day turns to night as the landscape is plunged into darkness. Animals and insects go quiet and birds may return to their nests. It’s no surprise these events terrified and entranced the earliest humans.
Unfortunately, Hampton Roads will only see a partial eclipse of about 80%, beginning about 2 p.m. and reaching its peak around 3:20 p.m. The closest major city to our region in the path of totality is
Cleveland, a drive of about 550 miles.
Still folks here will be able to see something spectacular, if not life-changing, though they should do so carefully. It should go without saying that staring at the sun is incredibly dangerous, and viewing an eclipse should only be done using NASA-approved glasses or through a pinhole camera. Regular sunglasses won’t cut it.
Seven years ago, when our region was also outside the path of totality, the viewing was a community event. Families
attended viewing parties hosted by astronomy clubs or enjoyed programming at area libraries. Coworkers ambled outside together and marveled at the spectacle on sidewalks and in parking lots.
Any eclipse is also a moment for science. At Wallops Island on the Eastern Shore, NASA plans to launch three sounding rockets to learn how Earth’s upper atmosphere is affected by the sudden absence of solar radiation. Researchers want to know how that could affect communications, some of which depend on the ionosphere’s electric field.
NASA, of course, has all sorts of things planned for this event, in keeping with its mission to “Drive advances in science, technology, aeronautics and space exploration to enhance knowledge, education, innovation, economic vitality and stewardship of Earth.”
The space agency has prepared a dedicated website for the eclipse at My NASA Data (shorturl.at/zCKNO) full of information for students of nearly all ages that includes mini lessons about what’s happening and interactive learning modules to deepen understanding. There are also suggested lesson plans for educators who want to use the eclipse as a learning opportunity.
All of that is useful since some area school districts will release students early rather than using the day to celebrate science education. But everyone is welcome to watch NASA’s broadcast from 1-4 p.m. at science.nasa.gov, which will feature telescope feeds from several points on the path of totality (weather permitting) and expert commentary, as well as a separate live feed of the Wallops Island launches.
What unfolds on Monday afternoon across most of the country won’t happen again for 20 years, emphasizing the extraordinary nature of this solar eclipse. People will travel great lengths to witness it and, harking back to the earliest days of our species, be forever changed as a result.
Hampton Roads may not be in the ideal location, but residents still shouldn’t miss this chance to gaze toward the heavens and to be inspired.