Sunday, August 20, 2017

Beating the Drum

(I posted this yesterday on 'Laramie's LAN...working hard to spread the Gospel of star/sun-gazing!)
The Sun Rises in Eclipse: Nov 2013 (Photo by Lucilla Epps)
Hello Shipmates!
By now I’m certain that all of you have heard of the Total Solar Eclipse, happening back in the
‘States on Monday.  If your families back home are within the band of Totality (which runs
across the country from Oregon to S. Carolina) then they are in for a treat; a total eclipse
of the Sun is one of natures’ most amazing spectacles.  Even the partial eclipse, viewed from
rest of the USA, is an impressive sight and worth taking the trouble to view.

That said, please pass this warning to your loved ones: DO NOT LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE
SUN AT ANY TIME.  PERMANENT EYE DAMAGE CAN RESULT FROM EVEN A FEW
SECONDS EXPOSURE. SAFETY IS PARAMOUNT.

So, how can they enjoy the eclipse if they cannot LOOK at it? 

My strongest recommendation is for the folks back home to avail themselves of the public
observing sessions being run by museums, planetaria, observatories and astronomy clubs in
all major cities and towns. These organizations will be using telescopes and other viewing
tools equipped with professionally-made filters to allow SAFE close-up views of the Sun’s disk,
sunspots and prominences (solar weather) and of course the Moon as it blocks-out the Sun.
A quick search on Google, say “eclipse (name of city)” should bring up several options.

Again…DO NOT LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN AT ANY TIME.  PERMANENT EYE DAMAGE
CAN RESULT FROM EVEN A FEW SECONDS EXPOSURE. SAFETY IS PARAMOUNT.

There are also several ways to safely view the Sun without driving or dealing with crowds. 
Making a pinhole projector viewer is a simple and fun crafts project for the kids and when the
eclipse happens they will be able to view the progress of the Moon’s disk as it blocks out the
Sun. You can project the image of the Sun/Moon duo with a colander or cheese-grater!  Check out
these links for more “grate” ideas.




So, what will WE see, here on our floating observatory?  LARAMIE will be in the eastern Atlantic
and right on the edge of eclipse coverage; the event itself won’t begin until just a few minutes
before sunset on Monday.  We won’t observe Totality (unless you count the Total Eclipse of the
Sun by the EARTH!) but, weather permitting, we SHOULD be able to see a Partial Eclipse begin-
Ing as sunset approaches.  Here’s how…

Redundantly…DO NOT LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN AT ANY TIME.  PERMANENT EYE DAMAGE
CAN RESULT FROM EVEN A FEW SECONDS EXPOSURE. SAFETY IS PARAMOUNT.

I’ll be in my usual observing location on the bridge, with solar filter-equipped binoculars and several
pairs of eclipse shades, starting an hour before sunset.  Given the intended speed of our transit it will
probably be too windy to watch from on-deck; if so we have permission to utilize the port-side
of the bridge itself as an observing site. If you decide to come up, be careful to avoid distracting the
watchstanders.  I’d recommend you bring a camera with some zoom capability; as the Sun approaches
the horizon haze and mist can act as an excellent filter for some literal last-minute photography!

Oh, and last but not least: DO NOT LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN AT ANY TIME.  PERMANENT
EYE DAMAGE CAN RESULT FROM EVEN A FEW SECONDS EXPOSURE. SAFETY IS PARAMOUNT.
Just sayin’.

I hope that this information will help your families enjoy the eclipse, and that you’ll take the opportunity
to glimpse this historic event for yourself!

Questions or concerns? I’m always happy to talk about my favorite subject!

V/R,
Thomas L. Epps
Operations Chief
USNS Laramie (T-AO 203)

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