A Total Eclipse in the Heartland

​​Missouri is well known as the Show Me State and we will receive quite a show on August 21, 2017.  An eclipse extravaganza will cross through our state for a once in a lifetime experience.  

​A total solar eclipse is when the moon completely blocks the solar disk. During totality, it will get as dark as night.  ​Missouri will experience as much as 3 hours of the partial eclipse and   2 minutes and 30 seconds of totality.

The Sun’s diameter is 400 times that of the Moon. The Sun is also about 400 times farther away. As a result, the two bodies appear almost exactly the same size in the sky.  This truly remarkable coincidence is what creates a total solar eclipse.

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​You may experience strange things during a total solar eclipse. Shadows will look eerie and breezes may vanish. A 10°–15° F drop in temperature is not unusual.  And bright stars and planets may be also be visible!

About five seconds before totality, Baily's beads will appear. They are little bead-like blobs of light at the edge of the Moon. They are created because gaps in the mountains and valleys on the Moon's surface allow sunlight to pass through in some places but not others.

Bailey's beads will appear right before totality. Be sure to wear your eclipse safety glasses during this phase.

A Brief History of Total Solar Eclipses
The word eclipse comes from ekleipsis, the ancient Greek word for being abandoned.  Surviving records have shown that the Babylonians were able to predict solar eclipse as early as 2500 BC. The ancient Chinese were the first to document a total solar eclipse and explained their occurance as a celestial dragon devouring the sun.

The wonder of a solar eclipse lead to myths and folklore being created throughout many cultures.  The Batammaliba people in Africa see each eclipse as an opportunity to end old feuds. The myth is that an eclipse is caused by fighting between the sun and the moon. When an eclipse occurs, the Batammaliba come together as a community and try to end their own fighting as a way of encouraging the sun and moon to do the same.

The last time a total solar eclipse occurred over Missouri was in 1442.  The Osage people still ruled this region and Columbus had not even been born yet.  The next eclipse over our area will be in 2505 which is 488 years away, making this viewing truly a once-in-a-lifetime event.

Make sure your eclipse glasses have the ISO 12312-2 safety mark on them.

Protect Your Eyes During the Eclipse 
​​A solar eclipse is one of nature’s grandest spectacles. By following these simple rules, you can safely enjoy the view and be rewarded with memories to last a lifetime: 

• ​Stand still and cover your eyes with eclipse glasses or a solar viewer before looking up at the bright Sun.
• After looking at the Sun, turn away and remove your filter — do not remove it while looking at the Sun. 
• If you normally wear eyeglasses, keep them on. Put your eclipse glasses on over them, or hold your handheld viewer in front of them.
• Still or video photography is an enjoyable way to document the eclipse. Be sure to protect your camera the same as your eyes and use your eclipse safety glasses over the lens when photographing the Sun.

To learn more on eye safety during a total solar eclipse, click here.  And be sure to follow us on Facebook on Monday, August 21 as we post live updates during The Great American Eclipse event.  

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