Sky & Telescope - April 2024 - 4

SPECTRUM by Peter Tyson
A Rare Gem
OVER THE PAST YEAR, we've devoted three covers to this month's
total solar eclipse - April 2023, January 2024, and the current one
- as well as multiple articles, starting with Fred Espenak and Jay
Anderson's 10-page preview in April 2023. This month's issue offers
no fewer than seven eclipse-related pieces.
Why so much coverage? Well, as most S&T readers know, a total solar eclipse
is one of the most thrilling natural spectacles one can ever behold. After experiencing
totality in 1851, Edwin Dunkin spoke for most of us who've seen a total
eclipse when he declared, " Few can imagine how much I longed for another
minute, for what I had witnessed seemed very much like a dream. " Leif Robinson,
a former editor in chief of this magazine, stated simply: " No one should
pass through life without seeing a total solar eclipse. "
One aspect of this month's event worth remembering is just how rare a phenomenon
it is. Take the U.S. as an example. Sure, we had a superlative eclipse
here just seven years ago, and totals take place every year
or two somewhere on the planet. But before 2017's, the
last time a total solar eclipse graced any portion of the
contiguous U.S. was in 1979, and the last total eclipse
that traveled coast to coast occurred in 1918.
The future is just as spare. The next time the Moon's
Obsidian orb: The
final moments of totality
on August 21, 2017
umbra even touches the Lower 48 will be 20 years from
now, in August 2044, and it will darken only three of
those states - Montana and parts of the Dakotas. The
next U.S.-crossing eclipse won't happen until August 12,
2045, when one will sweep from California to Florida.
This rarity is a key reason for our robust coverage. To whet your appetite for
April 8th's wonder, read Bob King's preview, with its helpful list of highlights
to watch for on eclipse day (page 48). To hear of a unique way to experience
totality, see Joe Rao's feature on observing it via AM radio (page 62). Trudy Bell
describes how eclipse expeditions in the 19th century pioneered solar studies
(page 28), while Alan MacRobert explains how and why solar eclipses happen
(page 74). In his column, Jerry Oltion gives tips on how to make an " Eclipsinator "
to safely share the event with others (page 72). We wrap up with a dramatic
story of a teenager's first eclipse chase by Alan Whitman (page 84).
Lastly, on the opposite page, note our special issue The Great 2024 Eclipse.
This richly detailed, lavishly illustrated guide covers everything you need to
know to ready yourself for the big day. It's available now on newsstands, by
phone at 800-253-0245, and through shopatsky.com.
Here's to clear skies for all who plan to stand in the
Moon's shadow on April 8th!
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Sky & Telescope - April 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Sky & Telescope - April 2024
