*THE SOUTHWORTH ASTRONOMER*
March 8, 2024
Eclipse Series III: The Time Table
*ONE MONTH UNTIL THE TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE!*
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*DA...WA....SA?*
The Daily Astronomer transmuted into the Wandering Astronomer and has now
become the Southworth Astronomer? Yes. I'll be taking the Wandering
Astronomer with me to Newfoundland. The Southworth Astronomer will remain
here at the Southworth Planetarium in Portland. My soon-to-be-selected
replacement will then become the Southworth Astronomer. I foresee no
further transmutations, unless, of course, my replacement decides to post
an article every day...
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Now that we are merely one month away from what may well prove to be the
most spectacular celestial event of the century, we can resume our eclipse
series. I thank you all for your patience as I muddle through my own
personal transition.
Today we focus on the time table: what observers at certain locations will
see and when they'll see it. We know that the April 8th eclipse will
not be total in southern Maine. However, more than 90% of the Sun will be
blocked by the moon at maximum. Although the corona won't emerge and we
won't be able to admire the fine array of Bailey's Beads, the sky will
still darken considerably and should command the attention of all but the
most obstinately terrestrial of us.
*PORTLAND*
We'll start here, at the epicenter of the Milky Way Galaxy.
*The eclipse will begin at 2:17:55 p.m.* One will observe the faintest
hint of a shadow along the Sun's limb: like an malevolent apparition
loitering along one's periphery. (Or perhaps not).
*The eclipse will be maximum at 3:31 p.m. *The magnitude will equal
0.964. This value means that the moon will block 96.4% of the Sun's
diameter. Obscuration refers to the percentage of the Sun's area the moon
blocks. When the magnitude exceeds 0.93 it begins to converge with
obscuration. The moon will cover about 96% of the Sun's area, reducing its
brightness to about 2.5% of its usual intensity. * HOWEVER: do not
remove your eclipse glasses even at maximum! They can only be safely
removed when the eclipse is total!*
*The eclipse ends at 4:39:47 p.m. *The subtle darkness along the Sun's
limb vanishes and the eclipse draws to a close. By this time, however,
the crowds might have long since dissipated.
*BANGOR*
*Eclipse begins at 2:20:28 p.m.* Notice that even the distance of 150
miles will make a difference in the timing. The eclipse begins about two
and a half minutes later in Bangor than Portland.
*The eclipse will be maximum at 3:32:55 p.m. *Eclipse magnitude 0.987.
Bangor will be closer to the totality path than Portland and so the eclipse
magnitude value will be higher. Approximately 99% of the Sun's area will
be blocked at maximum, which will reduce the Sun's intensity to 1% of its
usual value. *HOWEVER: do not remove your eclipse glasses even at
maximum! They can only be safely removed when the eclipse is total!*
*Eclipse ends at 4:40:44 p.m. * Again we see the time difference between
Portland and Bangor.
*HOULTON*
Now we venture into the totality path, a region we'll explore in greater
detail in the next post.
*Eclipse begins at 2:22:15 p.m. *Notice again the time difference as we
proceed north
*Totality begins at 3:32:06 p.m. *Here we see a line that did not appear
in the Portland or Bangor sections. At this moment the moon completely
blocks the Sun. In a later series article, we'll explain what an observer
will see at totality *YES: you may remove your eclipse glasses during
totality. Just be sure to put them back on before totality ends!*
*Maximum: 3:33:46 p.m. *The moment at which the Sun is at its most
hidden.
*Totality ends at 3:35:25 p.m. *At this moment the first sliver of the
Sun appears. Notice that totality only lasts 3 minutes and 19 seconds.
The closer one is to the central path, the longer the totality period will
be. Mathematically, the longest total solar eclipse will last 7
minutes, 31 seconds.**
*Eclipse ends at 4:41:04 p.m.*
The timing, magnitude and duration is all a matter of location. Even
small distances can account for measurable time differences. To
calculate the circumstances at your location, consult the splendid
web-site timeanddate.com
As the proverb states, "Wherever you go, there you are."
Next time: Up, down and all around the totality path
*If it is any consolation, the next total solar eclipse visible in Maine on
May 1, 2079 will be total down here.
**The April 8th eclipse is part of Saros Cycle 139. Another Saros 139
eclipse, one occurring on July 16, 2186, will produce the longest totality
period on record: 7 minutes, 29 seconds, tantalizingly close to the
theoretical maximum. Such long eclipses can only occur when Earth is at
or close to aphelion, its point of greatest distance from the Sun, and
along the equator.
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