A total solar eclipse will occur across much of North America on April 8, including in the “home town” of IU High School, Bloomington Indiana. This is a rare, not-to-be-missed opportunity to view the sun in a way you’ve likely never seen before. We urge anyone with the chance to see it to make every effort to do so.
Do not make the mistake of settling for seeing a partial eclipse. You’ll be settling for a crumb instead of the whole cookie!
What to expect before and after the eclipse:
- As the eclipse begins, the moon will be slowly moving in between you (on Earth) and the sun. Initially there will be hardly any difference to see, but gradually more and more of the sun will disappear from view. The sky, however, will remain surprisingly brightly lit, until nearly all of the sun is blocked.
- During the partial eclipse period, if you look directly at the sun without proper eye protection you can expect to go blind. Please use glasses with proper solar filtering. Look here or here for information about proper eye protection.
- You can actually better see the partial phase by projecting the sun’s image onto a blank screen. This can be done with a simple pin-hole viewer, or you can try to make something a bit more complex. Either option can spare you from craning your neck.
- Once the sun has become significantly crescent-shaped, take a look under any nearby trees. Trees can act as pinhole viewers, creating numerous tiny images of the eclipse on the ground below.
What to expect during the eclipse:
- Darkness! (And most likely a sense of wonder that you’ve never felt before…)
- Once you are sure the entire sun is behind the moon, take off your eclipse glasses. Now it is safe to view the eclipse directly.
- In the first (and last) few seconds, look for a bright reddish ring surrounding the moon/sun. This is the chromosphere, the slightly cooler and less dense layer of the sun that we normally cannot view. It may not be visible for long, so don’t miss it.
- Once the chromosphere is blocked, what you’ll want to look for is the sun’s corona. This is a much less dense layer of the sun that extends far from its surface. Look for pale, wispy light that fades with distance from the sun/moon.
- If you can tear your eyes away from the eclipse itself, you’ll also notice bright stars and planets have become visible. While the sky won’t be as dark as midnight, say, it will be dark enough for some star/planet gazing.
Look for an impressively bright Venus to the West of the sun/moon, and a slightly dimmer Jupiter somewhat further away and to the East. - One last wonder to experience – look around at the horizon. It will appear like twilight in every direction!
Finally, after the eclipse:
- Please – share your experience with IU High School!
- Anyone is welcome to send us their impression of the eclipse, in any format you please. Words, drawings, photos – we are excited to see anything you want to share. Send to iuhs@indiana.edu.