Eclipse Apprentice Training
Lesson 12 - The October 14, 2023 Annular Eclipse
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On October 14, 2023, there will be an annular solar eclipse in the United States. Eye safety is very important during solar eclipses! Sunglasses WILL NOT protect your eyes during a solar eclipse. If you want to look at the sun during the annular eclipse you MUST wear eclipse glasses. You also CANNOT look through a telescope or camera without a special solar filter.
You must make sure you have official eclipse glasses or the correct solar filter. Please visit the American Astronomical Society website for more safety information and up to date and accurate information on suppliers of safe eclipse glasses and filters.
Oct 14, 2023 Annular Eclipse Path - What is it?
During the annular eclipse the Moon will pass in front of the Sun blocking its center. This makes the Sun appear as a “Ring of fire” rather than a glowing ball. When the Moon passes in front of the Sun, it will cast a dark shadow, called the antumbra, on Earth. This shadow is approximately 125 miles wide and will travel across the United States starting in Oregon. It will travel in a southeast direction until it leaves the United States across Texas. This is the annular eclipse path. If you are along the annular eclipse path, where the moon’s dark antumbral shadow will pass, you will experience an annular eclipse. The moon will block the center of the sun making the sun look like a “Ring of Fire.”
If you are near, but not on the annular eclipse path, the moon will only cover part of the Sun. So the shadow will be much lighter. This lighter shadow is called the penumbra or part shadow. It is created when the Moon only blocks part of the Sun from view. If you are in the areas on Earth near but not on the annular eclipse path, the penumbra will create a partial eclipse. During a partial eclipse, the Sun will appear like a glowing crescent.
October 14, 2023 Annular Eclipse Path by State
Near, but NOT on the Annular Eclipse Path on October 14, 2023
If you are NOT on the eclipse path on October 14, 2023 you will experience a partial eclipse. There is no time when it is safe to look directly at the Sun without wearing eclipse glasses or using a special solar filter during a partial solar eclipse. You CANNOT look at the sun without eclipse glasses or a solar filter during a partial solar eclipse.
You must make sure you have official eclipse glasses or the correct solar filter. Please visit the American Astronomical Society website for more safety information and up to date and accurate information on suppliers of safe eclipse glasses and filters.
Vocabulary
Accurate – correct
Annular eclipse – when the Moon passes directly in front of the Sun, but appears to be too small to completely block the Sun
Antumbra / antumbral shadow – the darkest shadow beyond the umbra created by the Moon blocking the sun’s light from reaching the Earth during an annular solar eclipse
Approximately – almost / more or less
Partial eclipse – when the Moon passes in front of the Sun off-center and does not block the surface making the Sun look like a crescent
Path of annularity – the path across Earth that the antumbral shadow creates in which people will experience and annular eclipse
Penumbra/penumbral shadow – the lighter shadow created during a solar eclipse by the Moon blocking the sun’s light from reaching the Earth
Solar filter – a filter added on to a camera or telescope that blocks out most of the Sun’s light to allow the user to look at the Sun
Umbra/umbral shadow – the darkest shadow created by the Moon blocking the sun’s light from reaching the Earth during a solar eclipse
Discussion / Notes
Write, draw, or verbally discuss the answers to the following:
- Where in the US will people experience an annular solar eclipse on Oct 14, 2023?
- Where in the US will people experience a partial solar eclipse on Oct 14, 2023?
- When should you wear eclipse glasses?