Book review: "Your Guide to the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse"

By Michael Zeiler

Your Guide to the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse by Michael E. Bakich

Springer International Publishing, 2016, ISBN 978-3-319-27630-4, 395 pages

This guide is an excellent beginner’s introduction to total solar eclipses in general as well as the coming Great American Eclipse of August 21, 2017. Michael Bakich, a long-time editor of Astronomy Magazine and veteran eclipse chaser, is a natural storyteller and has the gift of explaining eclipses in an accessible way to the American public. To get a flavor of Michael’s engaging writer's voice, listen to some of his podcasts on the coming eclipse at https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/2017-total-solar-eclipse-podcast/id968037305?mt=2

The book begins on the topic of “What’s All the Fuss About?”. He clearly covers the basics of the different types of eclipses and leads the reader to the punchline of “It’s all about totality”. He makes the case that this is the peak celestial sight that anyone can and should try to experience.

Michael describes the fascinating history of past eclipses from early civilizations to the present day. He shares many images and quotes from his extensive collection of eclipse books and ephemera. I appreciated the extensive quotes from the 19th century eclipse enthusiast Mabel Loomis Todd, a gifted writer on the majesty of the total eclipse of the Sun.

There is proper attention to the importance of safely viewing the partial phases of a solar eclipse and Michael successfully walks the tightrope of giving sound advice on safe viewing of the partial phases of eclipse along with the guidance of when and how to view the glory of the Sun’s corona during totality.

The book includes a surprisingly comprehensive section on the selection of suitable binoculars and telescopes that is applicable to all types of astronomy as well as eclipses. For those who choose to photograph the eclipse - and Michael gives the correct guidance for most first timers to simply watch the eclipse - he gives practical instructions to get amazing photographs of the eclipse.

An ingenious chapter describes a number of projection viewers and simple science experiments that can be done during the eclipse. I especially enjoyed the camera caddy project and may build one myself for managing my multiple cameras. The reader also learns about the phenomena of the eclipse and tips for watching sights such as the rushing umbra, shadow bands, and the diamond ring.

An excellent chapter on community organizing in the book is written by Kate Russo. Communities in the path of the 2017 eclipse are in the dark about what to expect and Kate gives her expertise gained from several prior eclipses as well as her professional background in psychology. The book concludes with a narrative on the importance of weather awareness and a selection of great spots to view the eclipse.

I found the illustrations in the book to be first rate. They are very clear and well rendered by Roen Kelly and Holley Bakich and match the quality of illustrations in Astronomy Magazine. My only minor criticism is that I would have liked to have seen more detail in the eclipse maps, but I’m naturally biased towards a map-centric presentation.

Michael is also applying his expertise to what just might be the largest single astronomical gathering in history at an airport in St. Joseph, Missouri. See http://stjosepheclipse.com/ for details.

This book by engages the reader with clear and reliable explanations leavened with a dash of humor. Highly recommended for first-time eclipse observers!

A magnificent Indonesian total solar eclipse!

Design from front side of t-shirt which are are printing for the eclipse

Michael Zeiler & Polly White

We enjoyed a spectacular total solar eclipse in the Makassar Strait between Borneo and Sulawesi this past March 9th. It was the last total solar eclipse before the coming eclipse over America on August 21, 2017. 

This eclipse passed over the Indonesian islands of Sumatra, Borneo, Sulawesi, Ternate, Tidore, Halmahera, and other smaller islands. The eclipse also passed over several atolls of Micronesia before sweeping over much of the Pacific Ocean. 

Eclipse tourists were  mainly concentrated on the islands of Bangka, Belitung, Sulawesi, Ternate, Tidore, Halmahera, and smaller islands in their vicinity. Several ships were also positioned for the eclipse, the largest of which was the Holland America Volendam. 

Eclipse weather results were mixed. Indonesia has high humidity and considerable tropical cloudiness; the western half of Indonesia has a generally wetter climate than the eastern half. But the outcome on eclipse day was somewhat the reverse; most groups in the west enjoyed clear or partly clear skies and those in the eastern islands around Halmahera suffered under significant clouds and those who did see the eclipse saw it only through thin clouds. This outcome was reminiscent of the November 2013 eclipse in Africa when again the outcome defied the climatological expectations. 

Enjoy these maps, videos, and images from eclipse day. This was the 8th total solar eclipse for Michael and the 4th total solar eclipse for Polly.

Click on any image to enlarge.

Map of the voyage of the volendam and eclipse path

Hemispheric view of the eclipse

This eclipse is a member of Saros cycle 130

The two videos below capture the excitement as viewed by Mike Kentrianakis from an Alaska Airlines flight from Alaska to Hawaii which was diverted to intercept the eclipse and videographer Nelson Quan's proposal to his bride-to-be during the eclipse. 

You can't help but get excited when you fly with us and see a solar eclipse. We adjusted Flight #870 from Anchorage to Honolulu on March 8, 2016 just so our passengers could catch the solar eclipse from 35,000 feet.

Marriage proposal of award winning director, Nelson Quan, under the total solar eclipse of 2016 in North Mamuju, Indonesia.

The eclipse early in the morning in the Makassar Strait. Polly took a quick set of photos with her iPhone which have been stitched together to give an impression of the sky's appearance during the eclipse.

Composite panorama of 6 iphone photos quickly taken during the eclipse

Wide angle view of the eclipse by Michael Zeiler

These are scenes from eclipse day, March 9 2016, on board the Holland America Volendam in the Makassar Strait. Over 1200 passengers enjoyed a splendid view of the Sun's corona as well as many of the ship's crew. 

One of the real pleasures of eclipse travel is the opportunity to see exotic and interesting places on our beautiful planet. These are scenes from Singapore and Indonesia.

Polly and her doppelganger with the singapore skyline

Lake Batur inside the caldera of Batur volcano on the island of bali

More scenes from our trip including Borobodur, Bali, and Singapore.

Partial Solar Eclipse of September 13

Update on September 13: Many in South Africa and at least two expeditions from elsewhere successfully saw the partial solar eclipse. These are several photos taken by Professor Pasachoff at L'Agulhas, the southernmost tip of Africa and the point of maximum eclipse in Africa. Click on any photo to see higher resolution.

More images can be found at Schoppy's Eclipse World Tours Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Schoppys-Eclipse-Weltreisen-Schoppys-Eclipse-Worldtours-163623077181167/timeline/ 

The partial solar eclipse of September 13, 2015 is visible from southern Africa and Antarctica and is followed two weeks later by a total lunar eclipse.  A partial solar eclipse occurs when the alignment of the centers of the Sun and Moon just misses the Earth surface but the Moon's outer shadow, the penumbra, does reach the Earth.  At the point of greatest eclipse in Antarctica, about 78% of the Sun's diameter will be occulted by the Moon. The maximum partial solar eclipse in South Africa is 44%.

Click on either map to view an enlargement of that map.

As with any solar eclipse, you must use either approved eclipse glasses or a projection method to safely view the eclipse. This will be the last partial solar eclipse before the August 21, 2017 total solar eclipse which crosses the United States. Before the 2017 Great American Eclipse, there will also be a total solar eclipse over Indonesia on March 8, 2016 and an annular solar eclipse over Africa on September 1, 2016. 

For further information on this and coming eclipses, consult the authoritative website on eclipse predictions: http://eclipsewise.com/

Tri-centennial of a historic eclipse and map

The original 1715 map by Edmund halley with a modern reconstruction using contemporary eclipse calculations. tap to enlarge map images

300 years ago this May 3rd, a total solar eclipse passed over the British Isles and was widely seen. For the first time ever, a detailed eclipse map gave advance notice on a reasonably accurate track of the map and many in southern Britain did observe this eclipse.  (The date given on the map is April 22 1715  in the Julian calendar, which is May 3, 1715 in the modern Gregorian calendar.)

The total solar solar eclipse was the first of a series of eclipses which visited the European continent in 1715, 1724, 1737, 1748, and 1764.

The pivotal eclipse broadsides of Edmund Halley for the eclipses of 1715 and 1724 are probably the most famous early eclipse maps because they were widely available to the English public and prepared many people to successfully observe the eclipse of 1715.

In this period in Britain, a broadside was a sheet printed and sold on the streets on a subject of topical or scientific interest. Although many broadsides of Halley’s map were printed, few survive today and command high prices at auction.

Besides the new level of accuracy in eclipse predictions, there are two interesting innovations in Halley’s 1715 eclipse map. 

Click to see this map in the Houghton library collection at harvard university

The first innovation is the umbral oval within the map that gives the map reader a picture of the umbra as a shadow intersecting the earth at a moment in time. From this oval, the map reader understands that the shadow is sweeping along the path of totality. The oval is an interesting map feature that combines the geographic context with the temporal dimension of the eclipse and gives the map a sense of dynamism.

The other innovation is Halley’s invitation for eclipse observations, shown in the text at bottom. Halley did receive reports from many parts of southern England which he applied to create a revised map with improved eclipse lines. This is akin to today’s social networking technology and makes this map participatory instead of a one-way broadcast of information.

Prof. Jay Pasachoff gives a detailed account of Halley’s maps in the Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, 2:39:54, 1999, “Halley as an eclipse pioneer: his maps and observations of the total solar eclipses of 1715 and 1724” which can be found at http://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1999JAHH....2...39P. A related article, "Halley and his maps of the total eclipses of 1715 and 1724" can be found at http://astrogeo.oxfordjournals.org/content/40/2/2.18.full.pdf

Owen Gingerich wrote an article “Eighteen-Century Eclipse Paths” in Sky & Telescope magazine, 1981, volume 62, page 324-327. This article discusses how Halley used observations after the eclipse to produce a revised and more accurate second edition several months later. 

Halley’s post-eclipse report to the Royal Society gave his observations and summarized the reports by others. It’s a fascinating read and can be found at http://rstl.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/29/338-350/245.full.pdf

I give more details on Halley's maps of 1715 and 1724 at http://eclipse-maps.com/Eclipse-Maps/History/Pages/1701-1740.html

The essential reference for the history of British solar eclipse maps of the 18th century is The Shadow of the Moon, 1997, by Geoff Armitage, curator at the British Library. Armitage also discusses these maps at http://www.fathom.com/feature/122028/index.html. Armitage curated an exhibit of eclipse maps which is reviewed at http://www.mapforum.com/07/7issue.htm

An epic eclipse, bright aurora, and the high Arctic

by Michael Zeiler

Eclipse chasers frequently have a "trip of a lifetime" every 18 months or so. That's because we seek out nature's most astonishing spectacle and our journeys usually take us to remarkable and exotic locations. All of these eclipse-chasing trips are filled with adventure, culture, and grandeur. After all, what a cosmic coincidence it is that the Moon can perfectly occult the Sun to reveal the most beautiful object in the sky, the Sun's corona. Once a total solar eclipse is first seen, eclipse chasers are smitten and go to great distances to catch another view of totality.

But I can truly say that my recent expedition to Svalbard was indeed a trip of a lifetime. We enjoyed a spectacular confluence of natural wonders and the great luck of perfectly sunny skies on eclipse day. The eclipse also drew us to the spectacular scenery of the high Arctic archipelago of Svalbard. At 78 degrees North, we were halfway from the Arctic Circle to the North Pole and above nearly all the land mass of North America and Russia.

I was privileged to again  join the Williams College solar eclipse expedition organized by Professor Jay Pasachoff. Funding for the expedition came from Williams College and the National Geographic Socieity. Our last eclipse excursion was in November 2013 to the equatorial African nation of Gabon and we met with great success there.

The members of our party captured photography, video recording, and spectral measurements to continue scientific  records of the Sun's activity throughout the 11-year solar cycle.

Professor Pasachoff and his student, Allison Carter, captured high resolution images of the corona. Aris Vougaris, John Seiradakis, and Ron Dantowitz deployed sensitive spectrometers to document the relative abundances of highly ionized iron as a proxy for coronal temperature. Mike Kentrianakis captured a video record of the eclipse.

My main contribution to the expedition was to precisely identify which locations in the vicinity of Longyearbyen were suitable for eclipse observation. We faced two challenges in Svalbard: the Sun at eclipse was only 11 degrees above the horizon and we were in a mountainous terrain. I developed maps such as the one to the left to guide our site selection in the Adventdalen, the valley to the east of Longyearbyen.

Our adventure began on our flight from the United States to Oslo, Norway.  We had the amazing good luck of the strongest geomagnetic storm of the current 11-year solar cycle that evening. Through most of the flight, my travel partner, Mike Kentrianakis, and I were transfixed by the spectacle of bright and dancing auroral curtains and streaks through our jetliner windows.  

This show lasted for several hours and we couldn't sleep. The adrenalin of this celestial sight kept us going and we knew we had seen something truly remarkable.

I took these photographs with my Nikon D750 with zoom lens set to 28 mm. I set the camera to automatic,  pushed the ISO settings to maximum and maximized the additional stop settings. To my surprise, the aurora was so bright that I was able to capture these photographs with hand-held exposures. 

We arrived in Longyearbyen, the northernmost city in the world with about 2000 inhabitants. The bracing cold of the air plus the white scenery declared that we had entered the realm of the Arctic. After disembarking the aircraft, we were greeted by a stuffed polar bear in the airport terminal, reminding us that in this special habitat we do not occupy the top rung of the food chain.

Longyearbyen is the major settlement in Svalbard and a few other research and mining stations dot the archipelago. The hotels, restaurants, and other businesses were quite good considering the extreme environment. Because we were there during the Spring Equinox, day and night had similar lengths but the Sun never reached more then 11 degrees high in the sky.

Snowmobiles are as numerous as cars and dog sleds are another option to explore the backcountry. An ever present sight were rifles for rare but always present possibility of encounter with a polar bear. 

This settlement began as a mining operation exploiting the high-quality coal found here and currently the economy is transitioning to tourism and arctic research.

Eclipse day began with overcast clouds at sunrise that quickly dissipated. Weather is always the dominant concern of eclipse chasers, but we knew early on that we were in for a special treat. We situated ourselves on a broad ice field where we could enjoy the entire eclipse from begin to end.

From the moment the Moon first occulted the Sun to the end of eclipse was two hours. Of that duration, the total phase of the eclipse lasted 2 minutes and 27 seconds. Of special note were the obvious shadow bands dancing on the icy field in front of us.

These photographs were taken with a wide-angle fisheye lens on a Nikon D300. In these photographs, you can see the Moon's shadow sweeping in the sky from right to left.

An ISS transit across the eclipsed Moon

by Michael Zeiler

On the morning of April 4th, a special opportunity exists for astrophotographers to capture the ISS transiting the Moon during the lunar eclipse. This will be a photogenic opportunity for persons with telescopes mounted with a video camera. 

In a message on March 29 to the Solar Eclipse Mailing List (SEML), John Irwin from the UK writes: “I spy another opportunity to catch the ISS transiting an eclipse, this time across the Moon during the lunar eclipse next Saturday, 4th April (UTC). There is no possibility of a transit while the Moon is totally eclipsed because the ISS is on the lit side of the Earth at that time (totality lasts only ~5 minutes anyway). But there's a favourable pass on the other side of the Earth between 51 minutes and 25 minutes before totality during which the Moon will be in deep partial eclipse.” These maps show the path of the transit using computations by John. Click on any map to see an enlargement. Scroll down to read more on how to read these maps.

More comments from John Irwin:

"I've updated the path coordinates for the ISS lunar transit based on new predicted orbital elements for Saturday. These new elements include the ISS orbit raising manoeuvre yesterday, the effect of which has pushed the transit path back to nearly its original position and time indicated in my previous set of predictions.

These are my final path predictions before the eclipse tomorrow. The data table can be found here: http:/www.jir1667.plus.com/shadow/iss-lunar-transit-central-path-2015-04-04.txt

Coordinates are given at 1-second intervals along the whole of the central path for which both the northern and southern limit exist. They are accompanied by the transit duration (seconds), path width (kilometres), azimuth and altitude of the Moon/ISS (degrees), and the angular diameter of the ISS (arcseconds).

In general I would recommend heading for the central line to maximise duration. If that is not possible, then try to keep to the south of the line to allow for your height above mean sea level. It would be a good idea also to keep well away from the path limits because the path may drift enough between now and the time of the transit to put you outside the path. Finally, it is anticipated that there will be some drift along the central path too, amounting to several seconds (possibly more), so you will need to take this into account when planning your observations.

As the transit path passes over a lot of high-altitude terrain, you may wish to make a correction to the position of the central path to allow for your local geodetic height. The approximate formula d=h*cot(A) can be used, where d is the path displacement, h is your height, and A is the altitude of the Moon, available from the path table. The direction of the displacement is given by the azimuth of the Moon, also given in the table. Note that this formula doesn't work well for very low lunar altitudes.

As an example, take the situation at Reno, Nevada where h = 1373 m. The transit here is predicted to take place at 11:28:22 UTC at which time A = 23.9 degrees. Then the central path will be displaced by d = 3.1 km at an azimuth of 239.3 degrees (reckoned from north through east). This is roughly 2 miles WSW."

Eclipse visibility in the Faroe Islands

Eclipse durations over the Faroe Islands. Keep in mind that finding a location in clear weather is more important then maximizing eclipse duration.

By Michael Zeiler

On the 20th of March, the Faroe Islands is one of only two places on land that experience the total solar eclipse. The other is Svalbard. Both locations present challenges; cloudy weather, cold temperatures, and low sun altitude during eclipse. 

This blog post highlights eclipse visibility maps in the Faroe Islands. The previous blog post features visibility maps for the Faroe Islands. See more maps of this eclipse at http://www.greatamericaneclipse.com/march-20-2015/

The maps below will be useful to the residents of the Faroe Islands and eclipse visitors so that they can avoid shadowed areas during the eclipse. The Faroe Islands have many mountains  and the sun will only be about 19 degrees high during the total solar eclipse. Luckily, most of the settlements of the Faroe Islands will enjoy a fine view of totality given clear weather. However if scattered clouds force a quick relocation, the maps below will be useful in finding an area with good visibility of the total solar eclipse if and when the clouds clear.

The maps show simulated shadows during the three moments; when the moon first bites into the sun and begins the start of the eclipse (called 1st contact), the mid-point of the total solar eclipse, and when the moon leaves the sun and ends the start of eclipse (called 4th contact). The maps showing the shadows during the total solar eclipse incorporate an adjustment to provide at least one-degree of vertical clearance above the local ridge line.

I built these maps using Esri's ArcGIS software on a digital elevation model (DEM) with a resolution of 90 meters. Local authorities and media may freely share and link to these images provided a credit (in English or translation) is given to "Map by Michael Zeiler, www.greatamericaneclipse.com".

I've spent many hours developing these maps for the benefit of eclipse chasers and eclipse tour operators. These maps are offered at no cost. If you would like to show your appreciation for my effort, consider a purchase from our web store, www.greatamericaneclipse.com/store/.

These three maps below show detailed maps of the most populous regions of the Faroe Islands. You can click on each map and save to your computer for printing. Each map is 26 inches high and 23 inches wide, or about 66 cm by 58 cm. 

Detail map, visibility during beginning of partial phase of eclipse

DETAIL MAP, VISIBILITY DURING the total solar eclipse

DETAIL MAP, VISIBILITY DURING end OF PARTIAL PHASE OF ECLIPSE

The three maps below show a general map spanning all the Faroe Islands. You can click on each map and save to your computer for printing. Each map is 21 inches high and 27.5 inches wide, or about 53 cm by 70 cm. 

overview MAP, VISIBILITY DURING BEGINNING OF PARTIAL PHASE OF ECLIPSE

Overview MAP, VISIBILITY DURING the total solar eclipse

Eclipse visibility in Svalbard

By Michael Zeiler

click to see a higher resolution image of this map

On the 20th of March, a total solar eclipse crosses the North Atlantic Ocean and threads a passage between Iceland and the United Kingdom and Scandinavia. There are only two landfalls for the total solar eclipse; Svalbard and the Faroe Islands. Both locations present challenges; cloudy weather, cold temperatures, and low sun altitude during eclipse. 

This blog post highlights eclipse visibility maps in Svalbard. The next blog post will feature visibility maps for the Faroe Islands. See more maps of this eclipse at http://www.greatamericaneclipse.com/march-20-2015/

The maps below will be very useful to visitors to the Longyearbyen area so that they can avoid shadowed areas during the eclipse. This is a mountainous area and the sun will only be about 11 degrees high during the total solar eclipse. Most of the area inside Longyearbyen, the only sizable settlement in Svalbard, will not be able to see the total solar eclipse. It is critical for residents and eclipse chasers to be able to find locations from which to see totality.

The maps show simulated shadows during the three moments; when the moon first bites into the sun and begins the start of the eclipse (called 1st contact), the mid-point of the total solar eclipse, and when the moon leaves the sun and ends the start of eclipse (called 4th contact).

Furthermore, four maps are given for the total solar eclipse so that eclipse observers can decide on their threshold for how close the eclipsed sun appears to the intervening ridge line. If you were to stand exactly at the shadow boundary on the map showing actual shadows, you would only see half of the eclipse because actual shadows are computed from the center of the sun. The three other maps show simulated shadows that effectively show the areas to avoid if you want 1, 2, or 3 degrees of clearance between the sun and the ridge line below.

No one should choose to be at the boundary of the actual shadow because you only see half the corona. Casual eclipse observers could reasonably choose to be at the boundary of the shadows marked with 1 degree of vertical clearance, but this clearance is too close for most eclipse chasers. Eclipse landscape photographers might choose a 1 degree clearance for a dramatic effect. Most eclipse chasers will choose a location with a vertical clearance of at least two or three degrees. This clearance is desirable to see and photograph extended features of the sun's corona .

I have built these maps using Esri's ArcGIS software on a detailed digital elevation model (DEM) from the Norwegian Polar Institute. The elevation data points in the DEM have a very high resolution of 5 meters, so the derived shadows are accurate and trustworthy. Local authorities and media may freely share and link to these images provided a credit (in English or translation) is given to "Map by Michael Zeiler, www.greatamericaneclipse.com, using terrain data from the Norwegian Polar Institute".

I've spent many hours developing these maps for the benefit of eclipse chasers and eclipse tour operators. These maps are offered at no cost. If you would like to show your appreciation for my effort, consider a purchase from our web store, www.greatamericaneclipse.com/store/.

These six maps below show the extent of the region around Longyearbyen which is accessible by vehicle. You can click on each map and save to your computer for printing. Each map is 28 inches high and 24 inches wide, or about 71 cm by 61 cm. 

actual shadows during total solar eclipse

shadows at total solar eclipse, 1 degree of vertical clearance

shadows at total solar eclipse, 2 degrees of vertical clearance

shadows at solar solar eclipse, 3 degrees of vertical clearance

shadows during first contact of eclipse (when the partial phase of eclipse begins)

shadows during fourth contact of eclipse (when the partial phase of eclipse ends)

These six maps show the area in and around the settlement of  Longyearbyen. Note that there is only one spot within Longyearbyen which has a good clearance view of totality. You can click on each map and save it to your computer for printing. Each map is 28 inches high and 24 inches wide, or about 71 cm by 61 cm. 

Actual shadows during the total solar eclipse

Shadows at total solar eclipse, 1 degree of vertical clearance

Shadows at total solar eclipse, 2 degrees of vertical clearance

shadows at total solar eclipse, 3 degrees of vertical clearance

shadows during the first contact of eclipse (when the partial phase of eclipse begins)

shadows during the fourth contact of eclipse (when the partial phase of eclipse ends)

How to photograph and process nightscapes and timelapses

Click on the image to see this book on itunes preview

No doubt you've seen the stunning images and videos of the night sky processed by top astrophotographers. These are always popular on social media and for good reason; they depict our view of outer space from our beautiful home planet. The beauty of our night sky is an unfamiliar sight for many city dwellers, but once you get away from the city lights, you will see an amazing edge-on view of our galaxy plus planets, stars, nebulae, galaxies, comets and more. These images amaze us because they place us within the context of our astonishing universe and frame the view of the heavens from our remarkable planet, Earth.

Did you know that you can produce these types of images yourself with little more than a decent DSLR camera, tripod, and image processing software? You don't even need a telescope, just a bit of knowledge and some practice. It is easier than you may think to create images like this yourself. And now you have the perfect mentor to guide you step-by-step. My friend Alan Dyer has just produced a remarkable eBook entitled "How to photograph and process nightscapes and timelapses". This eBook can be downloaded on most Apple devices including the iPhone,iPad, and the MacBook through the iBook store. 

This book is aimed at both aspiring and experienced nightscape photographers and contains encyclopedic coverage of all aspects of this subject. You'll find dozens of embedded videos and image galleries organized through 400 pages and 18 chapters. There are chapters on selecting cameras and accessories, operating your camera, processing still images, time-lapses with effects such as tilt and pan and dolly motion, trouble shooting, and video processing. There is also a section on photographing lunar and solar eclipses with solid advice for capturing these phenomena.

A page from the section on eclipse photography

I've just spent several pleasurable and illuminating  hours looking through this ebook. I was impressed by the depth of content, the clarity of explanation, the utility of this book for both novices and experts, clear and engaging writing, and high publication quality. Alan also employed an advanced digital publishing platform to achieve a high level of interactivity. He says he spent a year and a half building this book and the result attests to that.

Alan Dyer is one of today's leading nightscape photographers and this book will guide you through the secrets of composing remarkable nightscape imagery and advanced time-lapse videos. This book will certainly spawn a new generation of nightscape photographers and time-lapse artists. Get this book, digest Alan's wisdom, practice and develop your chops, and you'll be well positioned to capture amazing images and videos of the Great American Eclipse of August 21, 2017.

Launch of the #Orion EFT-1

By Michael Zeiler

Last week, I was privileged to attend the launch of the Orion capsule atop a Delta IV Heavy rocket. I was selected by the NASA Social program which invites persons influential in social media to help communicate NASA's mission and activities to the public. I joined about 130 of my peers and we received amazing access to NASA facilities and personnel. There is a NASA Social event for every significant launch and if you have a social media presence, you can apply for future events. Follow @NASASocial on Twitter to keep informed of upcoming events.

The community of launch watchers has similarities to the community of eclipse chasers. Both events are a peak moment in your life and remarkable phenomena, one natural and one man-made. One difference: launches have frequent delays, but eclipses do not! It's worth traveling far to see both.

This was an exhilarating event and surpassed my expectations. I was astonished that we were admitted to such important and historic facilities that no public tour will ever visit. It was truly an amazing experience and I highly recommend the NASA Social program to anyone fortunate to be selected.

NASA's message is clear: This EFT-1 (experimental flight test) mission is the first step in the journey to Mars. The excitement of the NASA managers and astronauts we met was palpable. This is the beginning of mankind's venture into deep space beyond the Moon. This architecture comprising the Orion capsule and the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket will be the foundation of our first forays into the rest of the solar system. Commercial space ventures such as SpaceX and Boeing will take over the job of ferrying astronauts and supplies to the ISS (International Space Station) and NASA will move on to doing the big things as it did in the glory days of Apollo.

My friend xavier jubier had media credentials for the orion launch and captured great close-up photographs of the launch. click on the image to see his web page.

Some cynics may note that the Orion capsule and SLS rocket bear a resemblance to the Apollo capsule and Saturn V rocket. We learned that the designs are outwardly similar because the laws of physics have not changed in the past half-century but that they are completely different inside. For example, the Orion capsule is rated to carry four astronauts for 21 days and this mission can be extended by attaching to a habitat module. We also learned about the preliminary goals for the next unmanned launch of Orion on top of the first SLS rocket and the following manned launch. An idea on the table is that this first manned launch may visit a small captured asteroid brought by an automated space mission to the orbit of the Moon. All these activities are focused on the penultimate goal of reaching Mars, perhaps in the 2030's.

These were some of the highlights of our tour:

- We first met in an auditorium across the street from the VAB (Vehicle Assembly Building). We were introduced to the program and had an opportunity for each of us to make a brief statement of who we were.

- We then boarded buses and visited a location near the Orion launch pad. We had a photo opportunity and met the director of the United Launch Alliance, the builders of the Delta IV Heavy rocket.

- Next, we travelled to the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building. This was a highlight of our tour as we received rare access to the large clean room in which both the Apollo and Orion capsules were built. We saw the assembly platforms, vacuum chambers, high-pressure room, and the first hardware being assembled for the next Orion launch. Because of the sensitive technology that we saw, we were not allowed to take photographs inside. But we did see and photograph a striking sight just inside the entrance; the original suit worn by Neil Armstrong on the Moon! 

- Our last stop on the bus was the building where the segments of the solid rocket boosters of the SLS rocket are being processed. To control the costs being borne by the American taxpayer, NASA is re-using booster segments flown on the Space Shuttle program for SLS.

- We then engaged in a two-hour television conference back in the auditorium. We met NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and several astronauts and program managers.  After that, we drove ourselves to the visitor center of the Kennedy Space Center for another talk and the opportunity to see the shuttle Atlantis on display.

- The next morning, we were bussed to our viewing location for the launch. This was on the causeway with a clear view of the launch pad from about three miles away. Because of a confluence of factors - a stray boat, wind gusts, and sticky valves on the rocket - the launch was aborted for that day. Afterwards, we visited the VAB and saw the crawler from the Shuttle era being refurbished to carry the larger SLS rocket. Regrettably, I could not stay for the next day when the launch was successful. But I consoled myself with the idea that I would return with my wife to see the first launch of Orion on SLS.

These are photographs from our event:

10 foot map of the Great American Eclipse

This shows the beginning of the 10 foot map infographic of the great american eclipse. Click on the image to open the 10 foot map in a new browser window. Once it appears as a long and thin map, click again within the map to enlarge as you see above. You can then scroll through this map from the Pacific to the Atlantic.

by Michael Zeiler

I'm pleased to release a very long map infographic focusing on the path of totality for the August 21, 2017 total solar eclipse. This map is designed so that it will fill your browser window and you can scroll across the entirety of the path. 

If you were to print this map on paper, it would be 8 inches tall by 10 feet 8 inches! The reason the map is so narrow is that it focuses on the zone where we are trying to encourage all of the American public to get to; the path of totality. Plus a length of over 10 feet allowed me to communicate a great deal of detailed information about the eclipse path.

One of the first things you'll notice are the oval figures for the shadow of the Moon. These figures are drawn at three-minute intervals and the local times, a short description of the area, and the speed of the Moon's shadow upon the American landscape are shown. You'll also see curves annotated with durations. At the southern and northern limits of the of the path, you would also see the eclipse for a split second. As you move deeper into the eclipse path, your duration of totality with increase. This map gives you a sense of the zone where you want to be on eclipse day.

Above the path of totality are a couple of dozen topics that will give you some instant knowledge about the key aspects of the eclipse; strategies for successful viewing, comments on climate, background on eclipse history and science, and coming eclipses.

I will continue to develop more eclipse maps and infographics. If you have an idea, please drop a comment in the comments section or send me an email at greatamericaneclipse@gmail.com

The first eclipse canon, Elementa Eclipsium

These rare eclipse maps published in 1816 are available for purchase at http://www.greatamericaneclipse.com/store/original-1816-eclipse-maps

The first true canon of solar eclipses was developed in 1816 by the Moravian astronomer Cassian Hallaschka. A summary of Hallaschka’s achievements appears in Historical Eclipses in Europe by Susanne Débarbat:

“One remarkable book - Elementa eclipsium ... - was published in Prague in the year 1816 by Franz Ignaz Cassian Hallaschka (1780 - 1847). It contained the maps for eclipses between 1816 and 1860 and was followed by a second volume with maps of eclipses until 1910 (Solc, 1999). The geometric constructions used by Hallaschka anticipated the standard theory of eclipses developed later by Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel. In the introductory chapter, most of contemporary European authors of eclipse calculations are listed - Du Sejour, Monteiro, Goudin, Delambre, Wolf, Mayer and other authors of eclipse papers like Euler, Lalande, T. Mayer, Lagrange, Lexell, Cagnoli, Gerstner, Kluegel and Bohnenberger. However, Hallaschka developed his own method determining the umbral size and position according to the work of Cl. Wurm and geometric projections on the Earth’s surface were based on the books by Lalande and Rüdinger.”

The Elementa Eclipsium gives both a new theory of eclipse calculation and a comprehensive series of eclipse maps that applies Hallaschka’s new theory of eclipses. It is a broad work -- covering a span of seven decades in all, written in Latin, and with orthographic projections of the entire path of eclipses -- but Elementa Eclipsium also has a parochial quality as manifested with these characteristics:

• Only solar eclipses in which Brno (a city in the present-day Czech Republic) lies within the region of partial eclipse (penumbra) appear in the Elementa Eclipsium.

• Figures of the eclipse’s appearance during maximum eclipse are given for the perspective of Brno.

•Eclipse timings are given for Brno.

Partial solar eclipse of October 23

Update on Oct. 19: a giant sunspot has just rotated into view on the Sun. It will be perfectly located on the Sun for the partial solar eclipse this Thursday. Furthermore, it can be seen with unmagnified vision (through eclipse glasses or solar filters of course!)

This October 23, a partial solar eclipse will be visible from nearly all of North America and the easternmost part of Siberia.

By inspecting this map, you can get a very good idea of what you will see on the afternoon of October 23rd.

The red curves show the eclipse magnitude, the maximum fraction of the Sun's diameter occulted by the Moon. If your magnitude is 0.50, then half the Sun's diameter is covered. The yellow-black figures show a view of the partial solar eclipse at maximum partial eclipse where you are at.

A map like this can tell us a lot about where optimum viewing locations are, given good weather on eclipse day of course. If I could choose to be anywhere within the United States on eclipse day, I would want to be in far northwestern Michigan on the shore of Lake Michigan, near the orange linen that says 'Partial solar eclipse at maximum during sunset'. The lake will give a photogenic view of the setting sun with an eclipse magnitude of 0.60. Plus, a bonus of reflections in the lake. 

But anywhere in the region from Michigan down to the Alabama and Georgia will offer a nice sunset view. Just be certain to be in a high location with an excellent western horizon. I expect to see the best eclipse photographs on October 23rd from this area. Even if you are not an experienced astrophotographer, try your hand at this and use a long lens on your DSLR.

While I won't be along this line, I will be in a special location on eclipse day. I will be attending the Solar Eclipse Conference 2014 at the National Solar Observatory at Sacramento Peak, New Mexico. The foremost eclipse experts will be gathered there and a chief topic will be the Great American Eclipse of 2017.

Lunar Eclipse Maestro

Are you contemplating serious photography of the lunar eclipse on the morning of October 8th?

If you have an Apple MacBook computer and any standard DSLR, an excellent app enables automated photography with speed and aperture settings automatically adjusted for the changing light conditions during the total lunar eclipse. This app is developed by my friend and fellow eclipse chaser, Xavier Jubier. Xavier has also kindly provided me with a computation engine that I use to create most of my eclipse maps.

From Xavier's description:

"Lunar Eclipse Maestro 1.3.1, the most versatile and feature-rich application for lunar eclipses, is now available for download. Two versions are available: one is a Universal Binary running on Tiger or newer and the other, Intel only, running on Snow Leopard and newer.

Both versions support all the Nikon DSLRs including the latest D4s, D810 and D750. However the latest Canon cameras (EOS 1200D/Rebel T5/Kiss X70, 100D/Rebel SL1/Kiss X7, 600D/Rebel T3i/Kiss X5, 650D/Rebel T4i/Kiss X6i, 700D/Rebel T5i/Kiss X7i, 70D, 7D Mark II, 6D, 5D Mark III, 1D X and 1D C) are only supported on the Intel version. Legacy Canon cameras (EOS 350D/Rebel XT/Kiss N, 20D/20Da and 5D) are only supported by the Universal Binary version. All the SBIG CCD cameras and their filter wheels are now supported as well and it does also work with a few Nikon Coolpix cameras.

Users of all the previous releases are strongly encouraged to upgrade to this version as it brings improvements and fixes bugs (mainly regressions). That way you will be able to enjoy new or improved features and bug fixes as well as eclipses even more without worrying about operating your digital cameras.

Many under the hood improvements were made and one interesting feature was improved for Nikon DSLRs: shooting at full resolution with the mirror always raised is now possible (shouldn't be confused with video mode). This will give even better results and reduce the time needed between successive frames as you don't need to wait after locking-up the mirror.

To know more and download please visit:

http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site_pages/lunar_eclipses/Lunar_Eclipse_Maestro_Photography_Software.html

And direct comments, questions, or problems to me on the support board:

http://xjubier.free.fr/support/

To post you will need to register first, but you'll also benefit from the experience of others to find answers to your questions or problems. Please try to post in English in order to have a larger audience. I will generally answer in English to messages in French, Italian, German or Spanish, unless you clearly specify otherwise.

Clear skies,

Xavier"
 

Eclipse viewers of yore

An essential piece of gear while watching eclipses are eclipse glasses or, eclipse viewers. Solar eclipses are such memorable events in one's life that eclipse viewers are often saved over the decades and generations. A collection of these historic viewers is now on display at Williams College, Massachussetts. Following is a description of this collection by Professor Jay Pasachoff:

A total solar eclipse is safe to view directly during totality, when the Moon completely covers the Sun and only the corona is visible.  However, before and after totality or during partial or annular phases of the eclipse, the visible sun is almost a million times brighter than the corona; eye protection is necessary for safe viewing of the eclipse.  Luke Cole (1962-2009) amassed a collection of eclipse viewers–special glasses with filters specifically for viewing the eclipsed Sun–from eclipses since 1793.  Viewers starting with the eclipse of 1831 are on display here. 

See http://astronomy.williams.edu/eclipse-viewers/ for a full display.

The collection was donated by Nancy Shelby of San Francisco, CA in memory of her late husband, Luke Cole, who collected the eclipse viewers.  The liaison with Williams College’s Hopkins Observatory was arranged by Skip Cole, Williams College class of 1957.

The total solar eclipse of August 21, 2017, will be visible as partial from the whole Continental United States, so viewers like these will be in general circulation.  The path of totality will cross from Oregon to South Carolina, and even within the path, viewers like these will be needed before and after totality during the partial phases.

A selection of the actual viewers is on physical display in Williams College, Massachusetts. our Mehlin Museum of Astronomy, which is part of our Hopkins Observatory, the oldest extant astronomical observatory in the U.S.: http://astronomy.williams.edu/hopkins-observatory/

Mystery of the Ansel Adams eclipse photo

Today, I found an interesting photograph of a solar eclipse attributed to Ansel Adams. You can find this image at http://ccp.uair.arizona.edu/item/9820. This photograph is labelled with possible dates from 1923 to 1925 and is said to have been photographed from a place called Cantonville, California. 

There are two issues with this identification: 

1. The only central solar eclipse in this time span that visited California was the 1923 total solar eclipse which grazed the southwestern coast. But the photograph clearly shows what is known as a 'broken annular' eclipse in which the Moon very nearly occults the Sun but a string of Baily's Beads persists around the circumference. 
2. There is no identifiable place in California called Cantonville. 

The photograph could not have been of the 1923 eclipse and Cantonville does not seem to exist. So where and when was this photograph taken? I posed this question to the Solar Eclipse Mailing List (SEML) and quickly received a plausible solution.

First, the eclipse is most probably the annular-total (hybrid) solar eclipse of April 28, 1930. The total phase of this eclipse was calculated to be exceedingly short, about 1 second. With totality this short, it is likely that the Sun's disk was never completely extinguished. That is, some bits of the Sun's photosphere were left uncovered by some of the lunar valleys in profile.

Second, the place name of 'Cantonville' is very probably a misspelling of Camptonville where an eclipse observing expedition was dispatched by the Lick Observatory that year. 

This video offers some confirmation of this. You will see that the skies were characterized by thin clouds and that the bead pattern in the video resembles the bead pattern in the photograph. The evidence of the similar bead pattern and the close resemblance of the place names 'Cantonville' and 'Camptonville' suggests strongly that this is the eclipse and the location of Ansel Adams' photograph.

Steve Allen of the Lick Observatory noted in a communication on SEML that perhaps Ansel Adams did not actually take this photograph, but made a photographic print from a plate from the Lick Observatory archive. He notes that Ansel Adams did some photographs of the Lick Observatory and it is plausible that he had access to the eclipse archive.

Update on August 29: In a subsequent email communication to SEML, Steve Allen notes that Ansel Adams was a neighbor of the brother of an astronomer on the expedition and opines that it is plausible that Ansel Adams took the plate as well as made the print. At present, there is no conclusive evidence of whether Adams or a Lick Observatory astronomer took the plate.

A further confirmation of the identity of the eclipse photographed by Ansel Adams is this simulation of the Baily's Beads computed for this time and place by Xavier Jubier, xjubier.free.fr. This is from his software app Solar Eclipse Maestro. The match is very good and there is no doubt that the correct eclipse has been identified.

Update on September 8:  I've made an inquiry to the Center for Creative Photography which holds this photograph. I asked for further evidence which can ascertain whether Ansel Adams took the photographic plate as well as making the print. I've received this reply from Leslie Squyres:

Dear Michael Zeiler,

Attached to this email are images of the verso of the photograph by Ansel Adams.  I contacted a scholar who worked closely with Adams.  Andrea Stillman wrote, “It's by Ansel. As I recall he was very proud of it.”  I sent the verso images to her to verify the handwriting for me.  I know for certain that the date correction is Ansel Adams’s handwriting.  She remembers that somewhere Adams talks about making the photograph – I’m still trying to track down that reference and will get back to you. In a 1978 interview for the Bancroft Library Oral History project, Adams mentions that his father was treasurer of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific and that he and his father went to “Mt. Hamilton often.”

Adams was notoriously bad at recording dates.  If you know for absolute certainty that the photograph was taken in 1930, could you let me know? 

Best wishes,

Leslie Squyres

Director of the Volkerding Center for Research & Academic Programs

Center for Creative Photography, University of Arizona

No definitive answer yet on whether Ansel Adams indeed took the plate, but Leslie's message reveals new clues and some further leads. 

Below are details of the reverse side of the print.

The Minus-Third Anniversary of the 2017 US-Crossing Total Solar Eclipse

My friend Professor Jay Pasachoff recorded this blog post on the day that is exactly three years before the August 21, 2017 total solar eclipse. Jay is a leader in the solar eclipse community and has likely seen more solar eclipses than anyone else. His present count is 59, of which 31 are total solar eclipses, 15 are annular solar eclipses, and 13 are partial solar eclipses. He is the chair of the International Astronomical Union’s Working Group on Eclipses and is the Field Memorial Professor of Astronomy at Williams College. He has also written several books on solar physics and astronomy. 

Jay has a gift for expressing the beauty and science of a total solar eclipse in a way that anyone can understand. From the beginning of the podcast:

A total solar eclipse is the most inspiring thing, and beautiful thing, that anybody on Earth can see. The Sun going dark, being covered by the moon in the middle of the day, is awe-inspiring and even frightening, and has been so for thousands of years.  We in the United States are going to benefit from the band of totality of a total solar eclipse crossing the United States from upper left to lower right, from Northwest to Southeast on August 21, 2017.  I am making this podcast to mark the minus-third anniversary of this wonderful event.  

Listen to this podcast and be inspired: http://cosmoquest.org/x/365daysofastronomy/2014/08/21/aug-21st-the-minus-third-anniversary-of-the-2017-us-crossing-total-solar-eclipse/ 

First impressions of the Thousand Year Canon of Solar Eclipses

These are my reactions to receiving this new canon.

I ordered this book immediately after I found it on Amazon last Sunday night. It arrived to me on Wednesday. Considering that this book was actually printed on demand to my order, that's a remarkable turn-around. Even though I missed out on the discount that Fred announced for attendees of the SEC2014, I'm still very glad to have this two months in advance.

The quality of the book is excellent. You cannot discern that it was printed on demand compared to traditional press run publishing.

The book begins with a 50 page section on eclipse fundamentals, the computational basis of the canon, frequency and distribution of eclipses, and a thorough explanation of the tabular columns in the canon and how to read the eclipse maps. Although I am reasonably well-versed on eclipse fundamentals, there is new explanatory content that I was not fully familiar with. For example, there is an interesting discussion of quincena combinations of eclipses that helps clarify the succession of eclipse types. This first section is tight and full of facts; much of this content is reminiscent of the Mathematical Morsels by Jean Meeus but this is not a regurgitation of the MM content; instead this is fresh analysis on the distribution and frequency of eclipses. These distributions are highlighted with a number of tables of eclipses within the thousand year range of this canon.

Pages 53 to 92 is a tabular listing of the essential characteristics of each of the 2,389 solar eclipses from 1501 to 2500; date, time, delta-t, series numbers, eclipse type, gamma, magnitude, lat-long of GE, sun azimuth and altitude at GE, path width, maximum duration, and an interesting characteristic I've never before seen in a canon: QLE.

QLE, or the Quincena Lunar Eclipse Parameter, describes the relationship of the pairings of lunar eclipses and solar eclipses. A short text string identifies whether a lunar eclipse precedes or occurs after the given solar eclipse, along with the type of lunar eclipse (penumbral, partial, or total).

Pages 95 to 294 comprise the bulk of the book and map each of the 2,389 eclipses. There are 12 maps on each page, but because the print quality is very good, they are very legible. There is a color code to the eclipse lines; green for sunset/sunrise lines and penumbral limits, blue for isomagnitudes of 0.25, 0.5, and 0.75, red for annular eclipse limits, and blue for total eclipse limits. I checked the central limit lines for hybrid eclipses and indeed, the cross-over point from annular to total is marked by a transition from blue to red, a very nice touch that is rarely visible on eclipse maps.

The most useful aspect of this book is how handy it is. I have several old canons on my bookshelf that I rarely consult. This new canon is compact and I've kept it within reach instead of filing it on my bookshelf. It's very convenient to pick up and look over historic and future eclipses.

The utility of this canon is like the old saying about telescopes: the best telescope is not necessarily the largest, but the one you use most. So it is with this canon.

The book can be ordered here: http://astropixels.com/pubs/ap001.html

Launching GreatAmericanEclipse.com!

I am pleased to launch GreatAmericanEclipse.com on this day, exactly three years before the total solar eclipse of August 21, 2017. 

This website is just beginning. Over the next three years, I will continuously develop more content to educate the American public on where, when, and how to view this amazing spectacle. You'll find many new eclipse maps, videos, historic items, and other resources that you can share with friends and family.

I'd also like to invite other eclipse enthusiasts to participate in the on-going development of this website. Do you have something of interest to say to the readers of this blog? Send me some text and a picture and if it's of quality, relevant, and is your creation, it will be posted here.

I'm building some eclipse photo galleries that will be available soon on this website. Do you have any excellent eclipse photos? Not just corona pictures, but photos such as people viewing the eclipse? Send them with a description and a link to your website and they might appear in the gallery.

Do you have ideas or suggestions for improving this website or making it a community resource?

You can reach me at GreatAmericanEclipse@gmail.com and I look forward to collaborating with you.

Michael Zeiler

Santa Fe, New Mexico

Second US Solar Eclipse 2017 Planning Workshop Live Event

From Mike Kentrianakis on the Solar Eclipse Mailing List (SEML) today:

Live coverage of the second US Solar Eclipse 2017 Planning Workshop will be held in Columbia, Missouri, on August 21st and 22nd starting at 9:00am CDT each day. Live coverage will be offered via Ustream.
Workshop Agenda:

http://aas.org/files/resources/workshop_agenda_1.pdf

Ustream URLs:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/eclipse2017-day1
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/eclipse2017-day2

Ustream app downloads (for mobile devices):
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tv.ustream.ustream&hl=en
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ustream/id301520250?mt=8

AAS US Solar Eclipse 2017 webpage:
https://aas.org/education/outreach/eclipse-2017

I was at the first 2017 planning session and I regrettably can't make this meeting. But now I can follow the proceedings at my desktop!