Sunday Solar Eclipse Visible from National Parks

[Judi Lynn]

Sunday Solar Eclipse Visible from National Parks
By Nola Taylor Redd, OurAmazingPlanet Contributor | LiveScience.com – 3 hrs ago.

When the sun vanishes behind the moon for the first time over the United States in this century, what better place to enjoy the view than from one of the 154 national parks that stand in its path?

Astronomy lovers in the United States will be treated to a partial disappearance of the sun behind the moon this Sunday (May 20). Only the Eastern Seaboard will be totally exempt. Over the course of the solar eclipse, the sun won't vanish completely, but will remain as a ring around the moon for what is known as an annular eclipse. When the eclipse occurs, the moon will be near its most distant point from Earth, making it appear smaller in the sky and thus unable to block the entire sun. But it will still be a stunning sight.

Thirty-three national parks will see the full effect of the moon's interference. Many western parks will be offering an array of events for their guests, ranging from placing telescopes out for viewing up to a full-scale astronomy festival.

"We're lucky that so many parks happen to lie within the path of the annular eclipse," Grand Canyon park ranger Marker Marshall told OurAmazingPlanet.

More:
http://news.yahoo.com/sunday-solar-eclipse-visible-national-parks-195845913.html

[doc03]

1. WTF if we aren't in a National Park we can't see it? n/t

[bananas]

2. Looking at it directly will seriously damage your eyes - the parks will provide safe ways to view it

Contact your local astronomy club, they'll probably have an organized event locally.
Most of them can be found through http://cleardarksky.com/csk/
which lists the observing sites used by astronomy clubs.

edit to add: NASA has information on eye safety, photography, etc: http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEhelp/eclipsePhoto.html

[Warpy]

3. I'll just do the pinhole in cardboard

and watch from my front porch.

[xtraxritical]

4. I can't afford the entrance fee to a National Park, I guess I wont see it. lol