Tag Archives: eclipse

My first eclipse

The solar eclipse of May 20, 2012 is the most spectacular astronomical event I have ever personally experienced. The event was an annular eclipse with the moon only blocking out the center of the sun, resulting in a ring of light around the dark moon. The eclipse occurred less than 48 hours after apogee, so […] Continue reading

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Totality

On August 21, 2017, my family and I drove from Atlanta, Georgia to Clemson University in South Carolina to witness the solar eclipse in totality. Atlanta reached 97% totality, but Clemson reached complete totality: At about 2:37 PM, the moon completely covered the sun, positioning itself perfectly between earth and the sun and casting a […] Continue reading

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Total Solar Eclipse

On August 21st, 2017, the citizens of Oregon to South Carolina got to see a total Solar Eclipse. Although there is a total solar eclipse approximately every 18 months visible somewhere on Earth, the odds of the eclipse’s path passing over head where you can see it is much lower. Many mathematicians and scientist have […] Continue reading

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Nashville’s Partial Lunar Eclipse

Last November, Nashville witnessed a near-total lunar eclipse. Many of you likely remember hearing about it on the news or even stayed up late to see it – but why the commotion? What made this particular event noteworthy? To understand this, we will first explore the phenomena of lunar eclipses in general. Lunar eclipses occur […] Continue reading

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How a Solar Eclipse Revolutionized Our Understanding of the Universe

Up until the early 20th century, the laws that our universe abided by were best described by Isaac Newton in his Philosophiae naturalis principia mathematica. Newton’s principles still hold true for the most part, as they are the basis of many introductory classical mechanics classes today. Despite being able to model the laws of ourContinue reading “How a Solar Eclipse Revolutionized Our Understanding of the Universe” Continue reading

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Blog #1: Solar Eclipse Calendar

A solar eclipse is when the moon comes between the sun and the Earth and completely or partially blocks the light from the sun. This can only occur when the moon is at the nodes of its orbit and when its precession allows it to be in this position while being between the sun and … Continue reading Blog #1: Solar Eclipse Calendar Continue reading

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Eclipses and Wildlife

It’s an incredible experience to observe a solar eclipse, but not only for the eclipse itself. A large portion of the animal kingdom reacts to solar eclipses, some of them in surprisingly unique ways. A 2001 study of African wildlife showed that hippos feel like their daily routine has been disrupted, and act nervously after … Continue reading Eclipses and Wildlife Continue reading

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2017 Solar Eclipse

My junior year at Vanderbilt University began in the most spectacular way – witnessing a total solar eclipse through a skylight within Nashville airport, immediately upon arrival. Surrounded by a gathering of fellow traveller’s experiencing this magical moment, the moment in which the Sun was reduced to a radiant ring wrapped around the black outline […] Continue reading

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Blog #1:Solar Eclipses

For many, August 21st  will be the highlight of their year, with many having planned out their day months if not years in advance, finding out prime locations, taking time off, and/or even going out of town. In fact one small town in Kentucky has had all of its hotels booked full for this day … Continue reading Blog #1:Solar Eclipses Continue reading

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Friday Night Spectacle

Tonight, on this February 10th, there is supposed to be a full moon, a lunar eclipse, and a comet, all of which are supposed to be visible. This month’s full moon is called the “Snow Moon.”  This name came from Native American tradition, in which the full moons of each month bore different names.  However, this full moon … Continue reading Friday Night Spectacle Continue reading

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