Wednesday, May 19, 2021

considered June 10

I'm considering trying to take in the solar eclipse, such that it is, on June 10. Can't travel 'cause of COVID. Can't join a big star party 'cause of COVID. Will need to be careful of others if I'm out somewhere public... 'cause of COVID.

Checked all my astro-apps for sight lines and times.

Set Stellarium to my back yard for the general location but switched to a flat landscape.

Moon and Sun in Stellarium

Looks like the circumstances are:

  • 57½° azimuth
  • 5:43 rise time
  • high percentage of coverage

I copied the Sun data from the application.

  • Sun
  • Type: star
  • Magnitude: -24.98 (extincted to: -21.42)
  • Az./Alt.: +57°30'11.7"/+0°52'52.1" (apparent)
  • Ecliptic obliquity (on date): +23°26'13.9"
  • IAU Constellation: Tau
  • Distance: 1.015AU (151.888 M km)
  • Apparent diameter: +0°31'30.3"
  • Eclipse obscuration: 79.61%
  • Eclipse magnitude: 0.856

From SkyTools 4 Visual Pro.

Moon and Sun in SkyTools

Looks like the circumstances are:

  • 58° azimuth
  • 5:40-ish rise time
  • high percentage of coverage
Ran the Event Finder.

Events for Cupcakes, Ontario

2021 Jun 10, Solar Eclipse:

  • 04:46  First Contact, Sep= +00°30'30", Alt= -7°
  • 05:40  Mid-eclipse, Sep= +00°03'09", Alt= 1°
  • 06:38  Last Contact, Sep= +00°30'34", Alt= 10°

Pretty short event.

This illustrates that at sunrise for me that it is right at the half-way point. Whoa! One degree!

And then it's winding down over the next hour.

Stellarium Mobile Plus now... Using the "automatic" location.

Moon and Sun in Stellarium Mobile

Good correspondence.

SkySafari (basic, free). Auto location again.

Moon and Sun in SkySafari

Same. Same stuff.

Pulled the twilight info from SS.

  • 3:11 AM astronomical twilight begins
  • 4:11 AM nautical twilight begins
  • 4:58 AM civil dawn

If clear, we should get a cool-looking "horned" Sun.

Found a nice web site by espace pour la vie montréal with good infographics.

If you're in Nunavut or north Québec and you are referring to the RASC Observer's Handbook, be sure to download the corrected table for the local circumstances.

Apparently U of T is planning an event but I don't know any details per se. I noted they said that "much of Canada" will see it. I'd argue that...

Of course, the Eclipsophile web site by Jay Anderson and Jennifer West has excellent information, including weather prospects.

Some random thoughts. I won't be able to share the view with other humans. I wonder how the media will blow all this out of proportion. Need to find all my solar gear, the 8-inch filter, the binocular filters, the solar glasses, the welding glass viewer thingee... Should I double-check? I think the sight line from the hill is great. Maybe I'll review my comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) photos from 7 Jul '20.

It's a work-day but I am thinking I'll go to the water tower hill before dawn and watch the Sun-Moon rise!

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