The Sky Event of the Decade: August’s Eclipse of the Sun

On Monday, August 21, 2017, there will be an eclipse of the Sun visible throughout the U.S. and all of North America.  People in a narrow path from Oregon to South Carolina will see a spectacular total eclipse, with the Moon briefly covering the Sun completely, and day turning into night.  Everyone else (an estimated 500 million people, including all of us in the Bay Area) will see a partial eclipse, where the Moon covers a good part of the Sun.  Special glasses or viewing techniques are needed to look at the Sun safely during a partial eclipse (sunglasses are NOT enough).

Andrew Fraknoi, the author of a new children’s book on eclipses, When the Sun Goes Dark, will describe how eclipses work, why they are one of nature’s most spectacular sights, exactly when and where the eclipse of 2017 will be visible, and how to observe the eclipse and the Sun safely. 

 

At the conclusion of the program, everyone attending will receive a pair of safe viewing glasses for observing the Sun.  There will also be a book signing for When the Sun Goes Dark afterwards.