Partial Solar Eclipse, April 8, 2024, Cook County, Illinois, USA
I will preface my commentary below with a special thank you to my beloved husband, who sat beside me, calling off the time for each minute of the entire solar event, so that I was sure to catch every change. We are highly unlikely to witness the next Solar Eclipse in 2044, as we are 72 & 84, respectively.
If anyone may think this series of eclipse photos has duplication, it is actually not the case. If you enlarge each image and look for the sunspot, AR3268, located in the center of the sun's surface, you can see the progression of the moon "eclipsing" aka covering the sun as each minute goes by. Then you can see the sunspot become visible again when the eclipse is over.
The first, second, and third stages of this series were taken in my backyard, while the fourth and fifth stages were taken near the end of my driveway. I was seated in a lawn chair, handholding and manually focusing my equipment for each shot.
I wore protective eyewear and used a "white light" lens filter-77-T by Thousand Oaks Optical of Kingman, Arizona. This type of filter is used to detect sunspots and granulation. It protects the lens, camera and eyes from permanent damage that would occur from looking directly at the sun.
In many of the photos, sunspots can be seen before, during, and after the Partial Solar Eclipse, which provides a unique perspective of the changes minute by minute throughout the entire event.
*The sunspots are outlined on this photo. Scroll over the photo to see them.
"Sunspots are areas that appear dark on the surface of the Sun. They appear dark because they are cooler than other parts of the Sun’s surface. Solar flares are a sudden explosion of energy caused by tangling, crossing or reorganizing of magnetic field lines near sunspots."
spaceplace.nasa.gov/solar-activity/en/
"The 5 stages of the 2024 total solar eclipse explained for April 8, 2024" Written by Robert Lea
STAGE 1
"In the initial stage of the eclipse, the moon will begin to pass in front of the sun, kick-starting a partial solar eclipse. During this phase, the darkened lunar disk of the moon will make the sun appear as if a bite has been taken out of its illuminated face. This "bite" will get bigger and bigger as the totality approaches.
STAGE 2
"First contact will last for between 70 and 80 minutes, and its conclusion will be marked by a single bright spot, or "diamond ring," appearing at the edge of the moon. This marks the second contact stage and heralds the oncoming totality.
STAGE 3
"Stage 3 and the mid-point of the total solar eclipse is the totality. At this point, the moon completely covers the solar disk. During the totality of the outer atmosphere of the sun, the corona may become visible as white streamers at the edge of the moon. This region is usually washed out by bright light from the solar surface, the photosphere. The inner atmosphere of the sun, the chromosphere, may be visible as a wispy aura around the edge of the moon.
STAGE 4
"The fourth stage of the total solar eclipse, third contact, will see the moon start to move away from the disk of the sun, thus ending the totality and starting the second partial eclipse period. Brightening appears on the opposite side of the moon as it did during the second contact period.
STAGE 5
"The fifth and final stage of the total solar eclipse. The moon moves away from the disk of the sun, meaning that at fourth contact, the moon is no longer even partially eclipsing the sun. At this point, 2024's total solar eclipse will be over."
"Robert Lea is a science journalist in the U.K. whose articles have been published in Physics World, New Scientist, Astronomy Magazine, All About Space, Newsweek and ZME Science. He also writes about science communication for Elsevier and the European Journal of Physics. Rob holds a Bachelor of Science degree in physics and astronomy from the U.K.’s Open University."
Additional Information:
science.nasa.gov/solar-system/skywatching/eclipses/new-na...
Partial Solar Eclipse, April 8, 2024, Cook County, Illinois, USA
I will preface my commentary below with a special thank you to my beloved husband, who sat beside me, calling off the time for each minute of the entire solar event, so that I was sure to catch every change. We are highly unlikely to witness the next Solar Eclipse in 2044, as we are 72 & 84, respectively.
If anyone may think this series of eclipse photos has duplication, it is actually not the case. If you enlarge each image and look for the sunspot, AR3268, located in the center of the sun's surface, you can see the progression of the moon "eclipsing" aka covering the sun as each minute goes by. Then you can see the sunspot become visible again when the eclipse is over.
The first, second, and third stages of this series were taken in my backyard, while the fourth and fifth stages were taken near the end of my driveway. I was seated in a lawn chair, handholding and manually focusing my equipment for each shot.
I wore protective eyewear and used a "white light" lens filter-77-T by Thousand Oaks Optical of Kingman, Arizona. This type of filter is used to detect sunspots and granulation. It protects the lens, camera and eyes from permanent damage that would occur from looking directly at the sun.
In many of the photos, sunspots can be seen before, during, and after the Partial Solar Eclipse, which provides a unique perspective of the changes minute by minute throughout the entire event.
*The sunspots are outlined on this photo. Scroll over the photo to see them.
"Sunspots are areas that appear dark on the surface of the Sun. They appear dark because they are cooler than other parts of the Sun’s surface. Solar flares are a sudden explosion of energy caused by tangling, crossing or reorganizing of magnetic field lines near sunspots."
spaceplace.nasa.gov/solar-activity/en/
"The 5 stages of the 2024 total solar eclipse explained for April 8, 2024" Written by Robert Lea
STAGE 1
"In the initial stage of the eclipse, the moon will begin to pass in front of the sun, kick-starting a partial solar eclipse. During this phase, the darkened lunar disk of the moon will make the sun appear as if a bite has been taken out of its illuminated face. This "bite" will get bigger and bigger as the totality approaches.
STAGE 2
"First contact will last for between 70 and 80 minutes, and its conclusion will be marked by a single bright spot, or "diamond ring," appearing at the edge of the moon. This marks the second contact stage and heralds the oncoming totality.
STAGE 3
"Stage 3 and the mid-point of the total solar eclipse is the totality. At this point, the moon completely covers the solar disk. During the totality of the outer atmosphere of the sun, the corona may become visible as white streamers at the edge of the moon. This region is usually washed out by bright light from the solar surface, the photosphere. The inner atmosphere of the sun, the chromosphere, may be visible as a wispy aura around the edge of the moon.
STAGE 4
"The fourth stage of the total solar eclipse, third contact, will see the moon start to move away from the disk of the sun, thus ending the totality and starting the second partial eclipse period. Brightening appears on the opposite side of the moon as it did during the second contact period.
STAGE 5
"The fifth and final stage of the total solar eclipse. The moon moves away from the disk of the sun, meaning that at fourth contact, the moon is no longer even partially eclipsing the sun. At this point, 2024's total solar eclipse will be over."
"Robert Lea is a science journalist in the U.K. whose articles have been published in Physics World, New Scientist, Astronomy Magazine, All About Space, Newsweek and ZME Science. He also writes about science communication for Elsevier and the European Journal of Physics. Rob holds a Bachelor of Science degree in physics and astronomy from the U.K.’s Open University."
Additional Information:
science.nasa.gov/solar-system/skywatching/eclipses/new-na...