A Rare First Day of Spring
Happy Spring!!
Friday March 20, 2015 is the first day of spring and the vernal equinox in the northern hemisphere. This day brings a rare cosmic phenomenon is the sky, a solar eclipse.
By definition an equinox is when the daylight and darkness of night are approximately equal. If you think of the cycle of a year like the face of a clock with the shortest day of the year at 12 (december 21) and the longest day of the year at 6 (june 21), an equinox will occur at 3 (march 20) and 9 (september 22). An equinox happens twice a year, fall and spring. These seasons occur at opposite times of the cycle of a year for the northern and southern hemispheres.
First and Only Solar Eclipse of 2015
A solar eclipse is when the moon, in its cycle around the earth, passes between the earth and the sun. The moon essentially blackens out the sun by casting its shadow across the view of the sun. An eclipse can be partial or total and it is viewed differently from different locations on earth. On this first day of spring, the only solar eclipse of 2015, will be a total eclipse of the sun.
In her articles, Jessica Orwig of Business Insider reports that this rare total solar eclipse will be visible across parts of Greenland, Europe, and North Africa. Not only is this the only total solar eclipse in 2015, but it’s the last of its kind for another 19 years.
EarthSky confirms that this first day of spring total solar eclipse is a rare event, as the first in 2015, and the first vernal occurrence this century. After this 2015 equinox eclipse, the next solar eclipse at the March equinox will happen on March 20, 2034, 19 years away. Then there will be two more in this century: 2053 and 2072. Want to know more? Keep reading …
The Moon will Look Larger than Usual
The Business Insider articles by Ms Orwig explain the magnificence of this spring’s event is accentuated by the fact that “the moon will look larger than usual during Friday’s event.” This is because of the supermoon which occurred on Thursday, March 19. There are, on average, four to six supermoons every year. Read more >>>
Cycles of Nature
So in this event a viewer will witness many firsts for the season, the year, the century and maybe even for their lifetime. Do you see more cycles at play? For instance, the lunar cycle, the earth’s orbit, the day/night cycle – here as in most sky-related phenomena – there are cycles acting within cycles. Want to know more? Keep reading …
Here’s How to Watch, Even if You’re Not (or weren’t) There
According to the website Astronomy, the path of the March 20, 2015 total solar eclipse will allow people in the Faroe Islands, northwest of Scotland, and the Svalberg Islands north of Norway to see the sun totally blotted out by the moon.
Are there safety precautions for viewing a solar eclipse? Yes, according to the Exploratorium, “Never view the sun with the naked eye or with any optical device, such as binoculars or a telescope!” The Exploratorium website has great information and a video explain why you need to protect your vision and how to make a pin hole viewing device. You can also wear special solar eclipse viewing glasses perhaps sold in the viewing areas but if you want to have a pair on hand check on line.
Many thanks to the resourceful writer at Business Insider for informing us that there are other options for the rest of us to safely view it. The Slooh Community Observatory will host a live, two-and-a-half-hour broadcast of the event starting at 4:30 pm ET on Friday. Watch live as a member of Slooh or view the replay below :
Are you really into the moon and stars? Here are a few resource links:
Skywatching in 2015: 9 Must-See Stargazing Events from Space.com >>
And compliments of EarthSky.org
Phases of the moon: 2001 to 2100
Solstices and equinoxes: 2001 to 2100
Equinox and solstice calculator
Updates:
Total Solar Eclipse of 2015 in Amazing Photos on Space.com
www.space.com
Flight to Totality: How I Chased the Total Solar Eclipse of 2015 on a Jet
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