Sky & Telescope - June 2021 - 39

left provides local circumstances in 11 select cities.
Of course, all the usual
eclipse-viewing precautions must be taken when
Time
Maximum
Last
Location
zone
eclipse
Dur
Alt
Sunrise
Mag
Obs
contact
observing this event. Even
when the Sun is close to the
Minneapolis, MN
CDT
4:51:19
-
-5.7°
5:29
0.304 0.188 5:46:53
horizon, it's still potenDuluth, MN
CDT
4:52:30
2:52
-3.8°
5:18
0.522 0.407 5:48:42
tially blindingly bright.
Fargo, ND
CDT
4:56:06
3:34
-5.7°
5:36
0.265 0.154 5:51:24
For telescopic or naked-eye
Winnipeg, MB
CDT
4:59:42
2:11
-3.3°
5:24
0.543 0.430 5:55:48
viewing, a safe solar ﬁlter
Minot, ND
CDT
5:01:00
2:21
-6.3°
5:20
0.627 0.525 5:55:54
must be used.
If you still have your
For these locations, maximum eclipse occurs around the time of civil twilight, when the Sun is 6° or less below the horizon.
Also provided is the duration of " faux annularity " (Dur) in minutes and seconds, the time of sunrise, and magnitude and
eclipse glasses from 2017,
obscuration values, along with the time of the Moon's last contact with the solar disk. (Minneapolis lies just outside the
be sure to inspect them
southern limit of the negative path of annularity.)
carefully beforehand to
ensure that no tears or pinholes have appeared, or that any other damage has occurred
Take a Bite, But Be Careful . . .
in the intervening years.
As the map on page 37 shows, there will be no eclipse for
The safest method is to avoid looking at the Sun directly
places southwest of a line running roughly from Edmonton,
and instead project its image onto a screen either through a
Alberta to Savannah, Georgia. But eclipse watchers just a
pinhole or by using binoculars or a small telescope. You can
little north and east of this boundary will get to see a brief
review eclipse safety information at Sky & Telescope's website:
glimpse of the Moon retreating from the solar disk, though
the size of the bite will be very small. For example, in Charles- https://is.gd/eclipsesafety.
ton, South Carolina, there will be just eight minutes between
For a deep partial solar eclipse occurring at sunrise, the
the time the Sun is completely above the horizon and last
usual ground rules might be fraught with uncertainty. What
contact. At most, the Moon will cover less than 5% of the
if, for example, a thick layer of horizon haze signiﬁcantly
solar disk. Conversely, for locations farther north of this line
attenuates the Sun's light, dimming and reddening it to such
(such as Buffalo, New York, and Philadelphia), the eclipse
a degree that you're tempted to look directly at it? After all,
magnitude will be considerably larger, with about four-ﬁfths
just about everyone has watched sunrises (and sunsets) under
of the Sun's diameter hidden by the Moon. The table below
such conditions. While it's true that the Sun's visible rays
may be signiﬁcantly diminished, its infrared rays can still
freely penetrate horizon haze, however thick it may be.
Maximum Eclipse Before Sunrise
Damage to your retina can happen without any sensation of pain. So, even if the Sun is low and dimmed by haze
Time
Last
or thin clouds, use discretion, and err on the side of caution.
Location
zone Sunrise Mag
Obs
contact
Take only brief looks and don't stare long enough for infrared
Chicago, IL
CDT
5:18
0.356 0.236 5:39:06
rays to build up heat on your retina. Under no circumstances
Philadelphia, PA
EDT
5:34
0.792
0.719 6:30:00
should you use binoculars or a telescope without full-aperture
Buffalo, NY
EDT
5:40
0.847 0.785 6:36:24
ﬁlters covering the objective lenses.
While a partial or annular eclipse is certainly no match
Washington, DC
EDT
5:45
0.686 0.594 6:29:06
for
a total one, it's nonetheless a most interesting sight.
Manchester, NH
EDT
5:06
0.809
0.740 6:33:53
And this one, occurring around sunup, will certainly be all
Cleveland, OH
EDT
5:55
0.660 0.563 6:35:24
the more dramatic, with the possibility of unusual twilight
Detroit, MI
EDT
5:58
0.651 0.552 6:37:24
effects. The Sun's low elevation also means your photos can
Charlotte, NC
EDT
6:11
0.236
0.130 6:25:30
include beautiful foreground scenery to spice them up. If the
weather doesn't cooperate, or if you live outside the eclipse
Charleston, SC
EDT
6:14
0.117
0.046 6:21:12
zone, don't despair. Another annular eclipse is due in October
Indianapolis, IN
EDT
6:19
0.294
0.162 6:35:18
2023 - and its path will cross much of the Americas, providKnoxville, TN
EDT
6:21
0.123
0.050 6:28:24
ing viewing opportunities to more observers.
This table provides local circumstances for 11 select cities where maximum
In the meantime, good luck and clear skies on June 10th!

Locations Near or Within the Negative Path
of Annularity

eclipse occurs before sunrise. The magnitude and obscuration figures are the
greatest amount of the Sun that will be covered at the time of sunrise. Sunrise
is normally defined as the time when the uppermost limb of the Sun first appears above the horizon - for this table, the value given is for when the entire
solar disk is above the horizon.

Contributing Editor JOE RAO witnessed his first solar
eclipse in 1963. He has seen 12 total solar eclipses, two annular eclipses, and seven partial solar eclipses.
sk yandtelescope.org * JUNE 2 021

https://www.is.gd/eclipsesafety http://www.skyandtelescope.org

Sky & Telescope - June 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Sky & Telescope - June 2021