How to see this week's eclipse (and the next big one)
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
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Hey guys, producer Hannah Chin here in disguise as a host. Don't tell on me, to talk about something pretty rad happening tomorrow, a total solar eclipse. And here to help me talk through this amazing stellar event is astrophysicist and host of Shortwave, real host this time, Regina Barber. Hey Gina.
Hey Han, for our listeners, if they are in parts of Greenland, Iceland, or northern Spain, maybe a tiny sliver of Portugal, they'll be able to see the total solar eclipse tomorrow.
Yeah. And just so we're all on the same page here, a total solar eclipse happens when the moon passes in front of the sun and completely covers it and day basically turns to night, right? And the first time I saw a solar eclipse was in 2017, actually, when I was home for the summer from college uh in Oregon.
Yeah, I missed that one because I was scared there'd be like too much traffic driving there, which I totally regret now. I did see a partial eclipse though, um, in Washington State, which people in parts of Europe, Africa, and North America will be able to see tomorrow too. Though if you're anything like David Barron, that won't be enough.
An umbraphile is a fancy word for what I am, and that's an eclipse chaser. It just it means uh Shadow lover and uh That's what I am. I love being in the shadow of the moon.
So David's an eclipse chaser and author of the book American Eclipse, a nation's epic race to catch the shadow of the moon and win the glory of the world.
What is a total solar eclipse and why does it turn day into night?
Whew. Long title. Yeah. Yeah. It's it's actually about the eclipse that was visible across the US in 1878. And I spoke with him a couple of years ago in 2024 in preparation for the big US eclipse that year.
A total solar eclipse is the closest thing to space travel that you can experience without leaving the surface of the earth. It's like for a few minutes you are suddenly transported to some alien world. It's like you're living in some sci-fi movie, seeing a sky you've never seen, seeing the universe in a whole new way. And as brief as it is. For me and a lot of people, it really can change your outlook for years to come, if not the rest of your life. It's like you've left the solar system and are looking back from some other world.
And that's what keeps him coming back again and again. So today on the show, we've got a total solar eclipse. What it is, how to view unsafely. And what makes this one tomorrow so special? You're listening to Shortwave, the science podcast from NPR.
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How does the path of totality (the umbra) differ from the penumbra?
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Okay, Gina, uh let's start really basic. Okay. How does a solar eclipse happen in the first place?
Yes, so basically it's just when the moon gets directly in between the sun and the earth and it casts a shadow, and that shadow of the moon on Earth is what differentiates a partial solar eclipse from a total one.
A total solar eclipse is visible only along a narrow path that snakes across the surface of the earth. It's called the path of totality.
And that path of totality is called the Umbra. Umbra is Latin for shadow, hence Byron's saying he was an umbraphile earlier.
So uh there's a broad area where you can see a partial eclipse, but there's a that the moon completely blocks the sun.
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–1:43
2
What is a total solar eclipse and why does it turn day into night?
1:43–3:38
3
How does the path of totality (the umbra) differ from the penumbra?
3:38–7:50
4
Why is wearing certified eclipse glasses essential for safe viewing?
7:50–12:07
5
What strange lighting and shadow effects occur just before totality?
12:07–13:54
Speakers
4 identifiedMore from Short Wave
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