SMORGASBORD ON ECLIPSES
TUESDAYS: JULY 11, 18, 25; AUGUST 1, 8
7 –9 PM online
Five classes at a reduced tuition of $60.
Please join us for this Smorgasbord with different instructors and topics on the theme of solar eclipses.
July 11
– The overlapping Earth and moon orbital parameters that underlie solar eclipses. Frequency, duration, types, and speed of solar eclipses and their tie to lunar eclipses. The Saros cycle: an 18-year/11-day repetition of each eclipse, creating a “copy”. Every eclipse is a member of a particular cycle identified by a Saros number, and that “family” of eclipses lasts for +1100 years before it ends. The 29-year inex cycle.
Typical eclipse sequence: first contact, diamond ring, Bailey’s beads, corona, last contact.
– Eclipse Ambassadors, a NASA sponsored project.
July 18
– Ancient ideas and myths about solar eclipses. A sampling of some famous, significant ones.
July 25
– Hacking General Relativity with your amateur telescope gear during the 2024 eclipse. Einstein’s theory was proved during the 1919 solar eclipse by Sir Arthur Eddington. Let’s use our amateur equipment and do this same experiment for the 2024 Eclipse. This class will give the background on the Eddington experiment and then go into how anyone can do this using their modest telescope gear in 2024!
August 1
– Tips for safe viewing and photographing of eclipses. Eclipse images, stories, and insights from AAA members.
August 8
–Wrap up on images, imaging, and simulations of eclipses.
– Review of maps and suggestions for the coming solar eclipses observable in the United States
• Oct. 14, 2023 (annular eclipse, western states, Oregon SE to Texas)
• April 8, 2024 (total eclipse, Texas to NE to northern New England)
– Announcements of live streaming by organizations, possible NYC observing plans, and obtaining free AAA eclipse-viewing glasses.
IMPORTANT. SOMETHING YOU MUST DO BEFORE THIS CLASS:
It is expected that you attended or will have watched the March 21, AstroNews Hour #6 which previewed these two coming eclipses, presented by Stan Honda. That material will not be repeated nor be a central focus of this Smorgasbord. Of course, further information and Q&A time are planned. Therefore, please watch its recording (about 50 minutes) via this link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/XxvwyAGwxrssrrRN-uatxEiAWwP9eDJ3YaOXWj35pXXDTZ5M_mlc9ojtio0fHmew.mmitC_rNSHqbIPJp
Invited AAA instructors – Stan Honda, David Kiefer, Lydia Maria Petrosino, Matthias Schmitt, Kat Troche, Alfredo Viegas, and others.
Click here to register.
