© Reeth Informal Astronomy Group unless otherwise indicated
Reeth Informal
Astronomy Group
covering the Northern Yorkshire Dales
AUGUST 12th ECLIPSE OF THE SUN
Want to see a solar eclipse in Swaledale this coming August? Join members of the Reeth Informal Astronomy Group in Keld to witness this impressive event.
Just under a century ago, on 29th June 1927, there was a total eclipse of the Sun visible from the Yorkshire Dales. Sharp eyed readers may have noticed the plaque on the wall in Richmond recording the event – when the centre line of the eclipse passed through the town.
This August, just over 99 years on, there will be another eclipse visible from the Dales. At about 6.12 pm on 12th of August, the Moon will start to move in front of the Sun. By 7.08 pm it will cover approximately 92% of its disk. Although we won’t be able to see a total eclipse from here, a 92% dimming will be very noticeable.
If you want to see the total eclipse, you will need to travel to Eastern Greenland, the West of Iceland or – more realistically – Northern Spain.
To view the eclipse from Swaledale you will need to find a high vantage point with a good Western Horizon. This is because the eclipse will occur when the Sun is getting low in the sky towards sunset. But wherever you view the eclipse you should do so safely. In particular, you should never look directly at the sun without proper eye protection. Ordinary sunglasses, however dark, won’t be enough and you could easily damage your eyes.
The safest way to view an eclipse directly is to buy special “eclipse glasses” – versions with cardboard frames can be obtained very cheaply (from about £3.00 online). Just make sure they meet the international standard ISO 12312-2 for solar observation glasses, and before you use them make sure they don’t have any pinholes or scratches.
If you don’t have eclipse glasses you can make a basic pinhole projector to observe the eclipse. The simplest version is to have two sheets of cardboard, one of which should be white to act as a screen. You then make a small pinhole in one sheet and hold it in front of the white sheet, so it casts a shadow. You should then see a projected image of the sun with the moon taking a “bite” out of it. If you have children, it may be fun to make something a bit more sophisticated. NASA have made a child-friendly 5-minute video “How to make a box pinhole projector” out of a shoebox or cereal box. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PI1ttQxXt5s)
Finally, if you’d like some company, The Reeth Informal Astronomy Group will be observing the eclipse from Rukins Farm Campsite in Keld from 6.00pm on the 12th of August. Whatever the weather we will have a talk about the sun at Keld Public Hall from 8.00. after which some of us may then go outside again after dark to observe the Perseid Meteor shower. The event is free, but if you come please make a generous donation for parking in the box at the campsite and if you join us for the talk we would be grateful for a small donation in our astronomy group bucket which will be used to help us put on more astronomy events in the year ahead.
Let’s hope for a nice clear sky!