Late in the day on Thursday October 23rd, the Moon will pass in front of the Sun and obstruct part of it. This partial eclipse will occur at sunset on the east coast. Nearly all of the states will have the opportunity to see a crescent shape to the Sun. Southern states will see about 40% of the Sun eclipsed. Northern will see over 60% eclipsed.
Below this graphic is an excellent video from the staff of Science@NASA which explains more about the eclipse and some interesting things to try to see. Now all we need is good weather. I will talk to my sources to see if it can be arranged.
Additional details can be found at this article from the editors of Sky & Telescope. I suggest you take a look.
Sky & Telescope | Leah Tiscione
How I See It 
Nice. Will it be on Wednesday the 22nd or on Thursday the 23rd?
Oh my. It is on Thursday evening the 23rd. I have been way to busy the past few days and got that wrong. Thanks for asking.
Good, will put that on my calendar. There is supposed to be a good Orionid meteor shower tonight too.
We were coming home after dark a few nights ago. We both happened to look up toward the Big Dipper when a long streaking fireball tracked along the handle and through the dipper before disappearing. The direction it came from was southeast, in the direction of Orion. It might have been an Orionid. Whatever, it was the best we’ve seen in many years. And, we both saw it.
Very nice, I would love to see something like that.
It was perfect. And, then we both went crazy!
It looks like our weather will be fine for people who want to view. On the other hand, despite our clear days, we’re getting haze and low cloud at sunset, so it may not be optimal. No matter — the show will go on, with or without an audience! Thanks for the reminder.
A little haze might be ok. Did you notice I goofed up the date. It is Thursday the 23rd. Not Weds.
Truth to tell, I didn’t notice. I saw “23rd” and knew it was Thursday, Not everyone gets an eclipse for their birthday. 🙂
Really!? I hope it gives you a great show.
Early happy birthday.
Reblogged this on Our View From Iowa.
I’m having a book group meeting at my house in central New Jersey at 2:00 that afternoon. It usually runs about an hour a half. I guess the other ladies will be driving home in the near dark! 😀
It is possible your group will let out a little before sunset. Talk about the possibility of seeing some effects. Make a pinhole viewer for each. It takes an index card with a hole punched by a thick toothpick. Project the light from the sun onto a white surface 3 or 4 feet away. You can see a crescent. Good luck.
As we are meeting to see a 1960 Russian movie of a Chekhov short story we read and analyzed last week, I’m not sure how receptive these ladies will be to pinholes in index cards after the teary end of the film. But I will try. One of the husbands is a scientist, and if he comes along, he may corral us all into obedience to your instructions. I’ll keep my fingers crossed! 😀
Thanks for the heads up! I hadn’t heard about it. That S&T piece is very helpful on what to expect. Our weather is settling into fall systems, one after the next, a lot of rain forecast this week, but we might get lucky. That pinhole projection is quite do-able, I’ve used those before, and even though the image is small, it’s pretty impressive to realize what’s happening right at that moment up there in space. Good luck on your weather too!
Thank you. We have a pretty good chance for good conditions. I hope you get an opening.
Reblogged this on Conversations I Wish I Had and commented:
If you’re on the eastern side of North America, make sure to see October 23rd’s sunset!
Excellent reminder …. now I have to hope to remember.
put a note on the counter near the dinner time fixings
Yay for Central Time Zone! 😀
I’m very much looking forward to this. Thanks for the video and graphic, very informative!
I think weather down your way will cooperate. Here too.
Fingers crossed!
[…] and practice for the solar eclipse coming Thursday late afternoon. Details of the eclipse are in this previous post. If the weather doesn’t cooperate, the practice will be for naught. If it does cooperate, I […]
Reblogged this on hocuspocus13 and commented:
Solar Eclipse 5:45pm ET
This will be an awesome event. I am looking forward to the photos of the solar eclipse.
The forecast is mentioning clouds and rain more than before. I hope they are wrong.
Thanks for stopping by.
Thanks for notifying me.
[…] are two completely safe viewing methods for this evening’s solar eclipse. Push a thick pin, thin toothpick, or pencil point through an index card or piece of foil. Try to […]
Thank you for posting the video, Jim. It was great! I had no idea shadows would be crescent-shaped! How cool is that?!