ISE Opportunity: All-American Total Solar Eclipse

On August 21, 2017, there will be a total eclipse of the Sun visible from the United States. The path of what is being called the “All American” total eclipse is only about 60 miles wide and goes from a beach in Oregon to a beach in South Carolina, crossing the country diagonally. The partial eclipse, on the other hand, will be visible to 500 million people in all parts of the US and North America. The eclipse provides a unique opportunity for educational programming.

It will be very important that everyone who tries to see the eclipse on that Monday in August have information on the local timing of the eclipse and safe viewing instructions. The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) is making available a popular-level, non-technical introduction to help formal and informal educators explain the eclipse, plus how and when to view it safely, along with maps, charts and links. The free 8-page booklet, by astronomers/educators Andrew Fraknoi and Dennis Schatz, is available in PDF format on the NSTA website. It is reprinted from the new book Solar Science: Exploring Sunspots, Seasons, Eclipses, and More, available for purchase from NSTA.