Taking a peek at eclipse '98 This Thursday, February 26, the Sun will be eclipsed by the Moon, starting at 1:20 pm, eastern standard time.
This will not be a total eclipse as seen from New England, but the Moon will seem to cover about 20 percent of the surface of the Sun. Observers down in the Caribbean, however, will be treated to a full solar eclipse, with the halo of the Sun's corona shining like a crown around the Moon.
The eclipse should last about 10 minutes. The most important thing to stress (I said it last week, but it's important enough to repeat) is to NEVER look at the Sun, even during an eclipse without proper filters. Dark sunglasses, exposed black and white film, or welder's glasses should never be used to view an eclipse with. They allow far too much of the solar radiation to reach your eye.
For naked eye-observation, try to use a special pair of glasses, known as eclipse shades to view with. These are made of cardboard, with special lenses, and cost only 2 to 3 dollars. If you can't find these, take 2 pieces of cardboard, put a small hole in one, and holding it above the other sheet, put the hole towards the Sun. You can view the image of the Sun on the back sheet. This is still bright, but is all right for short period observation.
Also, never attempt to use binoculars to view the eclipse with, and never use a telescope without a good quality solar filter which fits over the front of the telescope. If you're using a telescope, it's a very good idea to block the front of the finderscope (the small telescope on the side of the main telescope) with a piece of tape, or a lens cap and tape.
What causes a solar eclipse?
Solar eclipses occur when the Moon, traveling in it's orbit around the Earth, comes directly between the Earth and the Sun. If the Moon goes around the Earth once per month (in fact, it is the origin of our word month), it should pass between the Earth and Sun once per month, and we should see an eclipse somewhere in the world every month. Correct? No. Here's why.
If you could picture the Moon tracing out a line behind it as it orbited the Earth, the circle it drew out would be tilted relative to the orbit of the Earth by about 5 degrees. The position of this orbit stays the same relative to the Sun and Earth as the year progresses. Therefore, there are only two times during the course of the year, six months apart, when the Moon can position itself between the Earth and the Sun. Of course, this can also only occur when there would normally have been a new moon. It is only when these "eclipse seasons" match up with the date of a new moon that solar eclipses occur. Since this will occur at 1:20 EST, the Sun will be about 20 degrees west of south during the eclipse.
When choosing an area to view the eclipse from, it would be a good idea to choose a location with a good view to the south south/west.
Clear skies, and good viewing.
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