Black Sun 2012

 Sunday, May 20, 2012, the northern hemisphere will have a chance to see a rare Annular Eclipse of the sun.  Folks in Asia will get the best views of it.  Which is why the Dr. Jarita Holbrook, Astrophysicist, Anthropologist and Documentary Filmmaker, wanted to be in Tokyo, Japan this weekend to film this event.  She’s currently making a new film about the Annular Eclipse on May 20, 2012 and the upcoming full Solar Eclipse November 3, 2013, and the two scientists who study these events: Drs. Alphonse Sterling and Hakeem Olusey. (You can learn more about this project and make a contribution, too:  Black Sun: Documentary Film about the 2012 Solar Eclipses.) video below.

During an annular eclipse the moon does not block the entirety of the sun, but leaves a bright ring of light visible at the edges. Annular is Latin for little ring, which is the reason for the name of this celestial event. For the May eclipse, the moon will be at the furthest distance from Earth that it ever achieves – meaning that it will block the smallest possible portion of the sun, and leave the largest possible bright ring around the outside.  I imagine it will quite beautiful, a sight to behold.

 Wow!  Doesn’t that just take your breath away. The moon will pass in front the fiery sun until it sets in the middle creating a black orb with a ring of fire. 

So get your pinhole projection ready.  You can do it with two index cards or go old school with the cardboard box over your head.  Here are some directions for making various solar eclipse viewers.  Either way, be safe and ready. The eclipse begins in the late evening, before dusk and will be quick. The moon doesn’t stand still.

Eureka, Calif.: 6:28 pm Pacific Time
Reno, Nev.: 6:31 pm Pacific Time
Grand Canyon, Ariz.: 6:35 pm Mountain Standard Time
Albuquerque: 7:36 pm Mountain Day Time
Lubbock: 8:36 pm Central Time

http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/urban-scientist/2012/05/19/annular-eclipse-may-20-2012/