The Great American Eclipse!

Today is a very rare ocassion: there will be a total solar eclipse, which scientists are calling "The Great American Eclipse".
If you have payed attention at all in science class, the phrase "solar eclipse" should sound familiar to you. What, you're saying that you didn't pay attention to what Mr./ Mrs. [Teacher] was saying? Bad child! If you keep on going like this, don't expect good grades! Just kidding, obviously. What is a solar eclipse, you may ask?

Image source: http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/13/world/asia/solar-eclipse-australia-explained/index.html

To make a long scientific mumbo-jumbo short, basically a solar eclipse is when the moon gets between the Earth and the Sun at the precise location to block out our view of the Sun, temporarily. (Not permanent. That would be very bad.) Just look at the diagram above.

Google changed today's logo for the occassion:

However, solar eclipses don't always happen total. They can also be partial, meaning that the sun's rays aren't completely blocked out. A total solar eclipse is rarer.

A total solar eclipse under the right conditions can happen every few decades, meaning that this is a very rare and special event.

Today, you can see the eclipse if you go outside at a certain time depending on your area. A large black object will slowly creep over the sun, until it completely blocks it out, covering the sky in darkness and making it seem as it if night-time even though its is actually day. Just remember to never look directly at the sun as it happens: the rays are so strong that it can blind you! Only look at it with special eclipse-viewing glasses.

Here is more info on the eclipse:

The Great American Eclipse Official Website, where you can see how and when to view it in your area: https://www.greatamericaneclipse.com/nation/

The New York Times- Complete Eclipse Viewing Guide: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/20/smarter-living/american-eclipse-guide.html


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Here is my previous post: http://arcabaran.blogspot.com/2017/08/personal-update-and-news-arduino.html