Eclipse chasing

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Two United States Air Force colonels inspecting the path of the eclipse of February 25, 1952 in preparation for an expedition to Africa. 330-PS-2598 (111-SC-43974AC) (17721186949).jpg
Two United States Air Force colonels inspecting the path of the eclipse of February 25, 1952 in preparation for an expedition to Africa.
An airplane (center-left) chasing the eclipse of August 21, 2017 in Tennessee. 2 33pm (36599875811).jpg
An airplane (center-left) chasing the eclipse of August 21, 2017 in Tennessee.

Eclipse chasing is the pursuit of observing solar eclipses when they occur around the Earth. [1] Solar eclipses must occur at least twice and as often as five times a year across the Earth. Total eclipses may occur multiple times every few years. [2]

Contents

A person who chases eclipses is known as a umbraphile, meaning shadow lover. [3] Umbraphiles often travel for eclipses and use various tools to help view the Sun including solar viewers also known as eclipse glasses, as well as telescopes. [4] [5]

As of 2017, three New Yorkers, Glenn Schneider, Jay Pasachoff, and John Beattie have each seen 33 total solar eclipses, the current record. [6] Donald Liebenberg, professor of astronomy at Clemson University in South Carolina has seen 26 traveling to Turkey, Zambia, China, the Cook Islands and others. [7]

History

In the 19th century, Mabel Loomis Todd, an American editor and writer, and her husband David Peck Todd, a professor of astronomy at Amherst College, traveled around the world to view solar eclipses. [8]

In 1923, US Navy tried to observe the solar eclipse of September 10 from sixteen planes, including Felixstowe F5L biplane, "to determine the centerline of the eclipse from air." No photo recorded the eclipse. Officer and photographer Albert William Stevens was one of the pilots on this expedition; he is sometimes called "the father of airborne astronomy". [9] There was another attempt to observe a solar eclipse, this time from a dirigible. On 24 January 1925, U.S. Naval Observatory and U.S. Bureau of Standards gathered a group of astronomers to observe a total solar eclipse from the USS Los Angeles airship over the New York City, with Captain Edwin Taylor Pollock as a head of the group. [10] [11] They used "two pairs of telescopic cameras", to capture inner and outer portions of Sun's corona, and a spectrograph. The expedition achieved good publicity, but it was not very successful in its observations - the dirigible was not very stable and the photos were blurred. [12] The next attempt was successful: an expedition of the Naval Observatory to observe the solar eclipse of April 28, 1930 on Honey Lake, California, with Vought 02U-1 plane equipped with a camera, recorded "the approach of the shadow". [9]

Army Air Corps and the National Geographic Society organized another expedition in 1932, to observe the eclipse of August 31. Accompanied by Lieutenant Charles D. McAllister of the Army Air Corps, Stevens took the first photograph of the Moon's shadow projected onto the Earth during a solar eclipse. [13] [9] [14]

Royal Canadian Air Force observed the solar eclipse of July 9, 1945 from four planes: "a Spitfire, a Mitchell, and two Ansons"; three planes used seven standard aerial photography cameras, "adjusted to automatically take exposures". [9] For the solar eclipse of May 8, 1948, National Geographic society organized several ground stations and two backup planes for a case of bad weather. Two B-29s, stationed on the Aleutian Islands, successfully observed and photographed the eclipse. [9]

For the solar eclipse of June 30, 1954, observations were made "from the open door of a special Lincoln aircraft". Photographs helped "to derive coronal brightness and polarization, along with sky brightness and polarization". Several missions were made in 1960s. Three NC-135 planes of the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) were used for eclipses observations from 1965 to 1980. The planes were operated by the Atomic Energy Commission. [9]

In 1973, the French Concorde prototype, c/n 001, was modified with roof-top portholes for a solar eclipse observation mission of 30 June 1973, at the end of the French testing programme. Observational instruments were installed on board, and the aircraft flew across Africa for 74 minutes of totality. One of the scientists was Donald Liebenberg, who have previously flown on LASL's NC-135. [15] [9] The airplane is now at the Le Bourget Air and Space Museum on permanent display in eclipse livery, with the portholes displayed. [16]

In 2024, it was estimated by US tourism officials that at least 4 to 5 million people traveled from various parts of the country to witness the eclipse along the path of totality. This made it the largest travel day of the year in the country, bringing an estimated economic boost of $1.5 billion. [17]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eclipse</span> Astronomical event where one body is hidden by another

An eclipse is an astronomical event that occurs when an astronomical object or spacecraft is temporarily obscured, by passing into the shadow of another body or by having another body pass between it and the viewer. This alignment of three celestial objects is known as a syzygy. An eclipse is the result of either an occultation or a transit. A "deep eclipse" is when a small astronomical object is behind a bigger one.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lunar eclipse</span> Astronomical event

A lunar eclipse is an astronomical event that occurs when the Moon moves into the Earth's shadow, causing the Moon to be darkened. Such an alignment occurs during an eclipse season, approximately every six months, during the full moon phase, when the Moon's orbital plane is closest to the plane of the Earth's orbit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solar eclipse of July 22, 2009</span> Total eclipse

A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's descending node of the orbit on July 22, 2009, with a magnitude of 1.07991. It was the longest total solar eclipse during the 21st century with totality lasting a maximum of 6 minutes and 38.86 seconds off the coast of Southeast Asia, causing tourist interest in eastern China, Pakistan, Japan, India, Nepal and Bangladesh. Its greatest magnitude was 1.07991, occurring only 6 hours, 18 minutes after perigee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solar eclipse of August 11, 1999</span> Total eclipse

A total solar eclipse occurred on 11 August 1999 with an eclipse magnitude of 1.0286. A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between earth and the sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the sun for a viewer on earth. A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon's apparent diameter is larger than the sun's, blocking all direct sunlight, turning day into darkness. Totality occurs in a narrow path across earth's surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometres wide. The path of the moon's shadow began in the Atlantic Ocean and, before noon, was traversing the southern United Kingdom, northern France, Belgium, Luxembourg, southern Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary, and northern FR Yugoslavia (Vojvodina). The eclipse's maximum was at 11:03 UTC at 45.1°N 24.3°E in Romania ; and it continued across Bulgaria, the Black Sea, Turkey, the northeastern tip of Syria, northern Iraq, Iran, southern Pakistan and Srikakulam in India and ended in the Bay of Bengal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017</span> Total eclipse visible from the mainland US

The solar eclipse of August 21, 2017, dubbed the "Great American Eclipse" by some media, was a total solar eclipse visible within a band that spanned the contiguous United States from the Pacific to the Atlantic coasts. It was also visible as a partial solar eclipse from as far north as Nunavut in northern Canada to as far south as northern South America. In northwestern Europe and Africa, it was partially visible in the late evening. In northeastern Asia, it was partially visible at sunrise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solar eclipse</span> Natural phenomenon wherein the Sun is obscured by the Moon

A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby obscuring the view of the Sun from a small part of Earth, totally or partially. Such an alignment occurs approximately every six months, during the eclipse season in its new moon phase, when the Moon's orbital plane is closest to the plane of Earth's orbit. In a total eclipse, the disk of the Sun is fully obscured by the Moon. In partial and annular eclipses, only part of the Sun is obscured. Unlike a lunar eclipse, which may be viewed from anywhere on the night side of Earth, a solar eclipse can only be viewed from a relatively small area of the world. As such, although total solar eclipses occur somewhere on Earth every 18 months on average, they recur at any given place only once every 360 to 410 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shadow bands</span> Wavy alternating light and dark lines seen immediately before and after a total solar eclipse

Shadow bands are thin, wavy lines of alternating light and dark that can be seen moving and undulating in parallel on plain-coloured surfaces immediately before and after a total solar eclipse. They are caused by the refraction by Earth's atmospheric turbulence of the solar crescent as it thins to a narrow slit, which increasingly collimates the light reaching Earth in the minute just before and after totality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solar eclipse of April 8, 2024</span> Eclipse over North America

The solar eclipse of April 8, 2024, also known as the Great North American Eclipse, was a total solar eclipse visible across a band covering parts of North America, from Mexico to Canada and crossing the contiguous United States. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby obscuring the Sun. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is larger than the Sun's, blocking all direct sunlight. Totality occurs only in a limited path across Earth's surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a larger surrounding region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solar eclipse of July 11, 2010</span> Total eclipse

The total solar eclipse of July 11, 2010 occurred over the southern Pacific Ocean. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is larger than the Sun's, blocking all direct sunlight, turning day into darkness. Totality occurs in a narrow path across Earth's surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometres wide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solar eclipse of August 1, 2008</span> Total eclipse

A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's descending node of the orbit on August 1, 2008. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is larger than the Sun's, blocking all direct sunlight, turning day into darkness. Totality occurs in a narrow path across Earth's surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometres wide. It had a magnitude of 1.0394 that was visible from a narrow corridor through northern Canada (Nunavut), Greenland, central Russia, eastern Kazakhstan, western Mongolia and China. Visible north of the Arctic Circle, it belonged to the so-called midnight sun eclipses. The largest city in its path was Novosibirsk in Russia. The eclipse happened only 2+1⁄2 days after the perigee that occurred on July 29, 2008, and the Moon's apparent diameter was larger than average.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solar eclipse of July 11, 1991</span> Total eclipse

A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s descending node of the orbit on Thursday, July 11, 1991. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is larger than the Sun's, blocking all direct sunlight, turning day into darkness. Totality occurs in a narrow path across Earth's surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometres wide. Totality began over the Pacific Ocean and Hawaii moving across Mexico, down through Central America and across South America ending over Brazil. It lasted for 6 minutes and 53.08 seconds at the point of maximum eclipse. There will not be a longer total eclipse until June 13, 2132. This was the largest total solar eclipse of Solar Saros series 136, because eclipse magnitude was 1.07997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Airborne observatory</span> Telescopes carried by aircraft

An airborne observatory is an airplane or airship with an astronomical telescope. By carrying the telescope to a sufficiently high altitude, the telescope can avoid cloud cover, pollution, and carry out observations in the infrared spectrum, above water vapor in the atmosphere which absorbs infrared radiation. Some drawbacks to this approach are the instability of the lifting platform, the weight restrictions on the instrument, the need to safely recover the gear afterward, and the cost compared to a comparable ground-based observatory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solar eclipse of February 26, 1979</span> Total eclipse in North America

A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's descending node of the orbit in North America on February 26, 1979.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solar eclipse of June 30, 1973</span> Total eclipse

A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's descending node of the orbit on Saturday, June 30, 1973. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is larger than the Sun's, blocking all direct sunlight, turning day into darkness. Totality occurs in a narrow path across Earth's surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometres wide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solar eclipse of October 24, 1995</span> Total eclipse

A total solar eclipse occurred on October 24, 1995. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is larger than the Sun's, blocking all direct sunlight, turning day into darkness. Totality occurs in a narrow path across Earth's surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometres wide. The path of totality went through Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, southwestern tip of Bangladesh, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Spratly Islands, northeastern tip of Sabah of Malaysia, Philippines and Indonesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solar eclipse of June 8, 1918</span> Total eclipse

A total solar eclipse occurred on Saturday, June 8, 1918. The eclipse was viewable across the entire contiguous United States, an event which would not occur again until the solar eclipse of August 21, 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solar eclipse of May 28, 1900</span> Total eclipse

A total solar eclipse occurred on May 28, 1900. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is larger than the Sun's, blocking all direct sunlight, turning day into darkness. Totality occurs in a narrow path across Earth's surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometres wide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solar eclipse of April 17, 1912</span> Total eclipse

A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's ascending node of the orbit on April 17, 1912. It was a hybrid event, starting and ending as an annular eclipse, with only a small portion of totality. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is larger than the Sun's, blocking all direct sunlight, turning day into darkness. Totality occurs in a narrow path across Earth's surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometres wide.

Donald Liebenberg is an American astronomer and adjunct professor in the department of physics and astronomy at Clemson University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eclipses in mythology and culture</span> Overview of beliefs regarding eclipses

Eclipses of the Sun and of the Moon have been described by nearly every culture. In cultures without an astronomical explanation, eclipses were often attributed to supernatural causes or regarded as bad omens.

References

  1. ↑ "Rapture Chasers - Every Little Thing by Gimlet Media". gimletmedia.com. Archived from the original on 2017-10-12. Retrieved 2017-10-12.
  2. ↑ Kate Russo (1 August 2012). Total Addiction: The Life of an Eclipse Chaser. Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN   978-3-642-30481-1.
  3. ↑ Kelly, Pat (2017-07-06). "Umbraphile, Umbraphilia, Umbraphiles, and Umbraphiliacs - Solar Eclipse with the Sol Alliance". Solar Eclipse with the Sol Alliance. Archived from the original on 2020-07-26. Retrieved 2017-08-24.
  4. ↑ "How to View the 2017 Solar Eclipse Safely". eclipse2017.nasa.gov. Archived from the original on 2017-08-24. Retrieved 2017-08-24.
  5. ↑ Wright, Andy (2017-08-16). "Chasing Totality: A Look Into the World of Umbraphiles". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 2017-08-24.
  6. ↑ Kersten, Jason (2017-08-28). "The New Yorkers Tied for the Total-Solar-Eclipse Record". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2017-08-24.
  7. ↑ Greenfieldboyce, Nell (8 August 2017). "Go See It, Eclipse Chasers Urge. 'Your First Time Is Always Special'". NPR.org. Retrieved 2017-08-24.
  8. ↑ Mansky, Jacqueline (2017-08-03). "A Brief History of Eclipse Chasers". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 2018-10-31.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Dolci, Wendy Whiting (1997). "Milestones in Airborne Astronomy: From the 1920's to the Present" (PDF). SAE Transactions. 106: 1760–1770. ISSN   0096-736X.
  10. ↑ LaFollette, Marcel Chotkowski (24 January 2017). "Science Service, Up Close: Up in the Air for a Solar Eclipse". Smithsonian Institution Archives. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  11. ↑ Maloney, Wendi A. (21 August 2017). "Looking to the Sky: Solar Eclipse 2017 | Timeless". The Library of Congress. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  12. ↑ Aceto, Guy (26 January 2022). "To Catch a Shadow: The Great 1925 Solar Eclipse Aerial Expedition". HistoryNet. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  13. ↑ "Stevens Photographs Eclipse 5 Miles In Air. Army Expert Says That Corona Sprang Into Sight as if Switch Was Snapped". The New York Times . September 1, 1932. p. 10. Retrieved 30 December 2009. Flying at an altitude of five miles near the centre line of the eclipse zone, the aerial unit of the National Geographic Society's eclipse expedition, conducted by Captain Albert W. Stevens and Lieutenant Charles D. McAllister of the Army Air Corps, had an unobstructed view of the eclipse throughout totality. ...
  14. ↑ "Albert W. Stevens Photo From 23,000 Feet - Raymond H. Fogler Library - University of Maine". Raymond H. Fogler Library. 14 April 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  15. ↑ Mulkin, Barb. "In Flight: The Story of Los Alamos Eclipse Missions". Los Alamos Science. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
  16. ↑ Chris Hatherill (9 March 2016). "When Astronomers Chased a Total Eclipse in a Concorde". Motherboard. Vice.
  17. ↑ Luscombe, Richard (2024-04-08). "'A mystical experience': millions watch total solar eclipse sweep across North America". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2024-04-09.
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