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Eclipse 2017 is over BUT There are More to Come 🙂

Solar Eclipse 2017 is COMING!

Have you heard? There’s a solar eclipse coming on August 21, 2017. I’ve seen a ton of articles on it from a national and world point of view. What about what’s being said from a California, Sacramento, Roseville point of view?

Solar Eclipse Path Tool

Check out this cool tool from NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at California Institute of Technology. You can see how it will look from your home town! Or your moms’! How about your grandkids?  😉 (Wait for it to pop up a button that says ENTER and click that. Then click a + sign on the right. Next enter your zip code. Very cool!

Roseville CA Almost-Total Solar Eclipse Path

I took a screen print of what it shows for Roseville CA at 10:02:48 on August 21, 2017.  (Just in case the tool gets crazy busy and crazy slow! 😉 ) If I understand it correctly, the black line is the Umbra which will experience 100% of the eclipse while we’re in the Penumbra and expect to have about an 80% eclipse.

2017 Solar Eclipse

SacBee – the Sacramento Bee newspaper is a great resource for our greater Sacramento Valley Area. Their article, What you need to know about the total solar eclipse, discusses the 2017 solar eclipse in general.

“A total solar eclipse means the moon fully blocks the sun. People in a 70-mile-wide path stretching from Salem, Ore., to Charleston, S.C., will experience a total solar eclipse on Aug. 21. Everyone else in the United States will be able to see a partially blocked sun.”

Warnings for How to Watch the Solar Eclipse

Yup, as you can tell from all of this, we are in the “partially blocked sun area.” It also gives specific info about our area:

• Safety tips for your eyes such as viewing only with glasses marked ISO 12312-2

• Where you can buy solar eclipse glasses in Sacramento (don’t rush to get them – call first as it looks like they might already be sold out. (Amazon seems to have a wide variety of solar eclipse glasses available though.  Sunglasses for adults and kids, binoculars, camera filters and more. BUT check the brands and safety info against the NASA recommendations.

• REMEMBER TO READ UP ON THE TOPIC AND VIEW THE ECLIPSE WITH GREAT CAUTION AND ONLY WITH SPECIAL GLASSES AS YOU WILL GO BLIND IF YOU DO IT WRONG!!!   Sadly, remember that even if it is marked correctly, you don’t really have any guarantee that’s correct. Use EVERYTHING with great caution. I’m not sure I’d want to take that chance, though I’m sure many will. And Amazon has been recalling quite a few!

• Eclipse fun and vocabulary
• Solar eclipse 2017 events in the Sacramento area include several fun activities scheduled at the Powerhouse Science Center 3615 Auburn Boulevard, Sacramento, CA 95821 – info@powerhousesc.org – 916.808.3942 – That includes the SVAS event by the Sacramento Valley Astronomical Society.

Due to a barrage of fake solar eclipse glasses on the market, here’s a post from a Tampa Bay news station covering that topic. It includes a list of 5 companies NASA recommends buying from. “Fake solar eclipse glasses flood market; NASA recommends 5 brands – “American Paper Optics, Baader Planetarium (AstroSolar Silver/Gold film only), Rainbow Symphony, Thousand Oaks Optical and TSE 17.”

Educational Ideas for Kids & Grandkid

Contrary to those in earlier centuries who were terrified of solar eclipses, you really do not have to hide in your basement. Instead, have a great time with kids and grandkids. Use it as an educational opportunity. Just make sure none of y’all look right at it without the proper eyeware. Here are some fun ideas:

One of my loved ones found some terrific links from NASA including:

• Pinhole Projector in the shape of the USA and/or a US State – 2D PDF files.
• How to Tell If Your Eclipse Glasses or Handheld Solar Viewers Are Safe – It’s vital to know that “just seeing the ISO logo or a label claiming ISO 12312-2 certification isn’t good enough. You need to know that the product comes from a reputable manufacturer or one of their authorized dealers.”
• How to View the 2017 Solar Eclipse Safely

Macaroni Kids Roseville Rocklin Lincoln, a fave resource of mine for kid and grandkid ideas, has some hints, tips, kid friendly science info, and a bit of a warning for us. Be sure to check out, All You Need To Know About This Summer’s Total Solar Eclipse – A total solar eclipse is happening across America for the first time in 3 decades!  

According to Sacramento’s CBS’ post by Lisa Meadows, Great American Solar Eclipse Will Plunge Sacramento Partly Into Darkness, our greater Sacramento Valley area will see about 80% coverage!

Would you believe it! While looking for acrostics for solar eclipses (don’t ask 😉 ), I discovered these intriguing workbooks for kids. There is one for those staying home and one for those who hit the road to see the total eclipse. 🙂

Where to See the TOTAL Solar Eclipse?

Sacramento City College gives advice for those of us in Roseville and Sacramento to head to East Oregon to actually see a total eclipse.  In their post, Solar Eclipse 2017 – Total Solar Eclipse, by Liam McDaid, you can read their good reasons why as well as enjoy some fascinating photos and scientific information about eclipses. Just be sure to check ahead to make sure you can get reservations. I’ve heard that most of the hotels and motels in the areas of the 100% strip have been sold out for months. I’m guessing RV parks have been as well. But at least if you drive your own recreational vehicle, you can pull over pretty much anywhere if you are desperate for sleep – carefully, of course. 😉

Solar Eclipse Vs Zombie Apocalypse!!!!

I enjoyed FoxNews’ article, Solar Eclipse Day Craziness Could Resemble the Zombie Apocalypse — Are you Ready?, by Nola Taylor Redd! WOW!

What About Us?

I will be VERY happy to stay at home with my senior mom. I’ll have my batteries charged, my fridge full, and my gas tank filled – just in case any zombies do join the throngs of peep expected to head for the total solar eclipse experience on the highways. 😉  (I HATE heavy traffic!) How about you? As that song goes – “should I stay or should I go?”  😉 .

Kaye

P.S. If you hear of any interesting activities or happenings in Roseville for the Solar Eclipse 2017, do let us know. I will be updating this periodically so do keep checking back. 🙂

P.P.S. For all of you who buy an RV for the eclipse 2017, or any other reason including to have a grand time :), be sure to check out my solar eclipse post that includes a list of homes for sale in Roseville CA with RV access. 😉