Solar Eclipse News from Bryan Leonard

Solar Eclipse News from Bryan Leonard

Solar Eclipse News from Bryan Leonard

Bryan Leonard sends an astronomy update every month by email and gave me permission to share it here.  If you would like to be on his email list complete our contact form.

The solar eclipse on April 8 is a once-in-a-lifetime event for many people.  Check it out if you have a chance.  Hopefully we will have a clear sky.  Something you might see with the proper eye protection.

What You May See – Bryan Leonard

The total solar eclipse for Hudson, WI will start at 12:50pm and end at 3:15 with a maximum eclipse of about 80% at 2:03pm.

NEVER look directly at the Sun.  There are many things you can use to protect yourself and your equipment.  Use eye protection to cover your eyes.  This can be specially designed for the eclipse or welders glass rated at least 12, or higher.  Protect your camera/telescope with a solar filter.  A direct view of the Sun from your camera can cause damage, so protect your equipment.

Use a camera with a lens that is 1000mm or longer, with a solar filter as mentioned above.  Sturdy tripod and an intervalometer to limit the vibrations.

Be sure to check your location.  There is a very slim path across the Unites States that will see a total eclipse.  But, most of the continental U.S. will see some part of the partial eclipse.  Check the links above to find your location and what you should expect to see.

Check the weather.  If it’s cloudy, you probably won’t see anything, but a short drive might improve what you can see.

April Events

  •     01  21:15  LAST QUARTER MOON
  •     05  21:51  Mars 2.0°N of Moon
  •     06  03:20  Saturn 1.2°N of Moon: Occn.
  •     07  10:39  Venus 0.4°S of Moon: Occn.
  •     07  11:53  Moon at Perigee: 358850 km
  •     08  06:20  Moon at Ascending Node
  •     08  12:17  Total Solar Eclipse; mag=1.057
  •     08  12:21  NEW MOON
  •     10  13     Mars 0.4°N of Saturn
  •     10  15:08  Jupiter 4.0°S of Moon
  •     11  06:38  Pleiades 0.4°N of Moon
  •     11  17     Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
  •     15  07:47  Pollux 1.5°N of Moon
  •     15  13:13  FIRST QUARTER MOON
  •     18  05:14  Regulus 3.6°S of Moon
  •     19  20:09  Moon at Apogee: 405625 km
  •     22  01     Lyrid Meteor Shower
  •     22  04:45  Moon at Descending Node
  •     22  20:02  Spica 1.5°S of Moon
  •     23  17:49  FULL MOON
  •     26  14:00  Antares 0.3°S of Moon

Much of the terminology isn’t used very much outside of astronomy, so the definitions are listed here.

  • Perihelion – the instant when a planet is closest to the Sun
  • Aphelion – the instant when a planet is farthest from the Sun
  • Perigee – the instant when the Moon is closest to Earth
  • Apogee – the instant when the Moon is farthest from Earth
  • Inferior Conjunction – the instant when a planet passes between Earth and the Sun (Mercury or Venus)
  • Superior Conjunction – the instant when a planet passes on the opposite side of the Sun from Earth (Mercury or Venus)
  • Greatest Elongation – elongation is the apparent angle between a planet and the Sun as seen from Earth; during eastern elongation (E), the planet appears as an evening star; during western elongation (W), the planet appears as a morning star
  • Opposition – the instant when a planet appears opposite the Sun as seen from Earth
  • Conjunction – the instant when a planet appears closest the Sun as seen from Earth
  • Occultation – the Moon comes between (occults or eclipses) a star or planet and the earth
  • Ascending Node – the point where a planet crosses from the southern to northern portion of its orbit
  • Descending Node – the point where a planet crosses from the northern to the southern portion of its orbit
  • “Calendar of Astronomical Events Courtesy of Fred Espenak, www.AstroPixels.com“.
  • https://www.astropixels.com/almanac/almanac21/almanac2024cst.html

Minnesota Astronomical Society monthly meetings are open to all – you needn’t be an MAS member to attend. These meetings normally take place the first Thursday of each month at the Fairview Community Center in Roseville (“Great Room”).  Monthly meetings start at 7:00 p.m. and last about two hours.  http://www.mnastro.org/

University of Wisconsin – River Falls, has astronomy presentations that are open to the public.  They have three monthly sessions during the fall semester and three more during the spring semester.  The evening starts with a 30 minute presentation and ends with telescope viewing from one or more of the three telescopes in the university observatory.  http://www.uwrf.edu/PHYS/Observatory.cfm

Star Parties at the University of Minnesota, Bell Museum of Natural History.  Explore the sky with the Bell Museum. FREE telescope observing nights take place monthly during the University’s Fall and Spring semesters. These are very informal and family-friendly.  Start the night inside the Whitney and Elizabeth MacMillan Planetarium for a brief presentation of Winter Sky Tonight. After the planetarium show, the evening will continue with telescopes on our rooftop observation deck. Bell Museum staff will guide you through observations of the same celestial objects that have inspired sky-gazers throughout history!   Check the Bell Museum Events page for more information.  https://www.bellmuseum.umn.edu/events/

For any of the events listed here, check out the links below to find the exact time and location of the event.  The following items will have star charts, times and direction to look.  Some events will last only seconds and others will last all night – or several nights.  So get as much information as you can before you plan to go out.  And it’s always good to check and double check everything just in case any dates, times or directions have been misstated above.

Bryan

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