2017 Solar Eclipse: A Viewing Guide for Memphis and the Mid-South

On August 21, the first total solar eclipse to make an appearance over the continental United States since 1979 will pass within 150 miles of Memphis. The last time a total solar eclipse spanned the contiguous U.S. (as this one does) was 1918, nearly a century ago, and the first total solar eclipse visible anywhere in the CONUS in 38 years. Despite the area of totality missing Memphis by a short drive, most of North America, including the Memphis metro, will experience a partial eclipse. In the case of Memphis, the sun's obscuration will be 93%, so nearly total!

What is a solar eclipse?

From NASA's total eclipse page, eclipses occur when the sun, moon, and Earth periodically align. Solar eclipses happen when the moon moves between Earth and the sun. When the moon eclipses the sun, it produces two types of shadows on Earth. The umbral shadow is the relatively small area on Earth where an observer would see a total eclipse. The penumbral shadow is the much larger area where an observer will see a partial eclipse. Here, the sun is not completely covered by the moon.

During a total solar eclipse, there is as noticeable drop in light level (like twilight) and, subsequently, air temperature. The brightest stars and the planets become visible. Animals act like it is nighttime with birds and squirrels nesting and crickets chirping. In other words, there is nothing quite like it during the middle of the day!

Solar eclipse of July 22, 2009 taken by Lutfar Rahman Nirjhar from Bangladesh.

Mid-South Path

The Memphis metro will not be in the path of totality of this year's solar eclipse, but will be well within the area of a partial eclipse. In fact, for the Memphis area specifically, the sun achieves 93% obscuration, or very near totality. The nearest areas which will have a total eclipse are about 150 miles northeast of Memphis as shown in the map below.

The path of the total eclipse is shown above in the map generated by NASA. Times of maximum eclipse at various points are provided as well as the duration of the total eclipse (which is higher the closer to the center of the shadow you are).

As for the timing of the partial eclipse event here in the Memphis area, here are the pertinent details:

If you are considering a trip to see the total eclipse, the closest large cities within the path of totality are Nashville and Paducah, although anywhere along the path shown in the map above will do!

Eclipse details for Nashville:

Start of partial eclipse: 11:58am CDT
Start of total eclipse: 1:27:26pm CDT
Point of maximum eclipse: 1:28:25pm CDT
End of total eclipse: 1:29:23pm CDT
End of partial eclipse: 2:54pm CDT

Eclipse details for Paducah:

Start of partial eclipse: 11:54am CDT
Start of total eclipse: 1:22:17pm CDT
Point of maximum eclipse: 1:23:28pm CDT
End of total eclipse: 1:24:39pm CDT
End of partial eclipse: 2:49pm CDT

You can look up these same details for any location in the United States from this site.

Will weather cooperate?

Of course the other major consideration on an eclipse day is cloud cover. If it is overcast, it won't matter whether an eclipse is occurring because you won't be able to see it! NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI, formerly NCDC) has done research on local climate data (cloud cover specifically) to determine the "viewability" of many locations within the eclipse area. Shown below is a map of eclipse viewability in the region of interest for Memphians. Each dot is shaded according to how likely that location is to produce good viewing conditions based on historical record (of course anything could happen on August 21, 2017!).

Here in Memphis, the climatological record says there is a 51% chance that the eclipse is viewable, with cloud cover being scattered or less 61.6% of the time historically. In Nashville, the "viewable ratio" is just 44%. The closest locations with the best potential for good viewing conditions within the path of totality are Paducah and Cape Girardeau, MO (both 77% "viewable").

The area of total eclipse is shown in dark red and at least 90% obscuration is in orange. The surrounding lighter orange color will have more than 75% obscuration. The shaded dots represent the historical "viewability" for indicated areas with a whiter dotter indicating a better chance of less cloud cover, or greater "viewability." For an interactive version of this map, click here.  (NOAA/NCEI)

Viewing tips

Looking directly at the sun is unsafe except during the totality phase of an eclipse, when the moon entirely blocks the sun’s bright face, which will happen only within the narrow path of totality as described above. That will NOT occur in the Memphis area, as we'll experience only a partial eclipse (even though only 7% of the solar disk will be visible locally, it's enough to burn your retinas if you look directly at it).

The only safe way to directly view a partial eclipse sun is through special solar filters, such as “eclipse glasses” or hand-held solar viewers. Homemade filters or ordinary sunglasses, even very dark ones, are not safe for looking at the sun. Four manufacturers have certified that their eclipse glasses and handheld solar viewers meet the international standard for such products. One of those manufactures eclipse and 3-D glasses for worldwide use right here in the Memphis area - American Paper Optics of Bartlett!

All glasses or solar filters should be inspected before use. If scratched or damaged, discard them. To view the eclipse, stand still and cover your eyes with your eclipse glasses or solar viewer before looking up at the bright sun. After glancing at the sun, turn away and remove your filter — do not remove it while looking at the sun.

If you decide to travel to a location that experiences totality, you can safely remove your solar filter or glasses only when the moon completely covers the sun’s bright face and it suddenly gets quite dark. As soon as the bright sun begins to reappear, replace your solar viewer to glance at the remaining partial phases (see above tips).

An alternative method for safe viewing of the partially eclipsed sun is pinhole projection. You may remember doing this for previous partial eclipses in the past. Here are instructions to make a very simple projector out of cardboard.

Viewing an eclipse can be done with solar glasses or with a "pinhole camera," which is diagrammed above.

For more information on the eclipse, we recommend the following sites, which are full of great information:

• NASA's comprehensive 2017 Eclipse Site
• NASA "Eyes Eclipse 2017" interactive eclipse viewer 
• Comprehensive Google map of the eclipse
• Interactive, 3D simulation of the eclipse from anywhere
• "Tracing the Eclipse" - YouTube video

Now we need to all cross our fingers for a sunny day on August 21!

(By the way, if the weather doesn't cooperate, there's a rain date. On, April 8, 2024, we will see another near-total eclipse in Memphis (actually 97.5% obscuration instead of 93%) at 1:56pm. So if the clouds abound, hang onto those glasses for six years!

Erik Proseus
MWN Meteorologist

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Partial solar eclipse visible to Mid-Southerners on Thursday

In an event that won't be seen again for nearly 3 years, a partial solar eclipse will grace the sky over North America on Thursday, October 23. Partial solar eclipses happen when a new moon comes between the sun and the Earth, but they don't align in a perfectly straight line. Therefore, the moon only partially covers the sun's disc. 

Diagram of how a solar eclipse occurs, as a new moon passes between viewers on Earth and the sun.
Graphic credit: EarthSky.org.

In the Memphis metro, the partial eclipse will begin at 4:52pm Thursday afternoon as a small shadow on the right side of the sun. As the shadow moves across the top of the sun, a maximum eclipse (shown below) will occur at 5:53pm low on the western horizon. The sun will slip below the horizon at 6:14pm, thus ending the viewing opportunity prior to the end of the eclipse.

How the sun will appear at maximum eclipse (5:53pm Thursday) just prior to setting. For an animation of the complete eclipse cycle, see TimeandDate.com.

The next solar eclipse opportunity won't be until August 21, 2017 when a total eclipse takes place. While we look forward to that opportunity, don't miss the chance to see this partial eclipse or you'll have to wait another 3 years to see it again!

As to viewing an eclipse, remember the #1 rule is to NEVER look directly at the sun, eclipsed or otherwise, without protective eyewear! The sun’s UV radiation can burn the retinas in the eyes leading to permanent damage or even blindness. The only way to safely see a solar eclipse is to wear protective eclipse glasses, look through welder's goggles with a rating of 14 or higher, or to project an image of the eclipsed sun using a pinhole camera. Here's info on making a simple camera from Mr Eclipse.com:

One safe way of enjoying the Sun during a partial eclipse--or anytime--is a "pinhole camera," which allows you to view a projected image of the Sun. There are fancy pinhole cameras you can make out of cardboard boxes, but a perfectly adequate (and portable) version can be made out of two thin but stiff pieces of white cardboard. Punch a small clean pinhole in one piece of cardboard and let the sunlight fall through that hole onto the second piece of cardboard, which serves as a screen, held below it. An inverted image of the Sun is formed. To make the image larger, move the screen farther from the pinhole. To make the image brighter, move the screen closer to the pinhole. Do not make the pinhole wide or you will only have a shaft of sunlight rather than an image of the crescent Sun. Remember, this instrument is used with your back to the Sun. The sunlight passes over your shoulder, through the pinhole, and forms an image on the cardboard screen beneath it. Do not look through the pinhole at the Sun.

Be safe and have fun watching the eclipse on Thursday!

Erik Proseus
MWN Meteorologist

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Comet PanSTARRS viewing opportunities

UPDATE - March 13:  I got a chance to see PanSTARRS last night and have updated the viewing tips accordingly.  I could not see it without binoculars, but with them I could make it out once I knew where to look.  This was in a subdivision with street lights, but it helped to move away from the lights a bit.  The comet is rather "fuzzy" when you spot it, but there is a definite "head" on the lower end of it with the tail extending up.  It is not a shooting star, so you won't actually see it move. Tonight, find the crescent moon around 7:30-7:45, then look below the moon about the width of your fist when held at arm's length. Good luck!

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Original post - March 12:

Comet PanSTARRS (C/2011 L4) over Uruguay on March 2, 2013. Credit: Sky & Telescope / Ruben Perez de Paula

Until yesterday, I hadn't really mentioned the viewing opportunities for comet PanSTARRS (C/2011 L4) as we've had so much cloud cover it wasn't worth it.  However - that changes the next few days! The only fly in the ointment appears to be tonight with a few high clouds possible this evening, especially if you're viewing from north MS, but we'll cross our fingers!

Where to look in the coming weeks to see PanSTARRS

Viewing information

When: 30-45 minutes after sunset is best. Sunset is at 7:05pm, so roughly 7:30-7:45pm.
Where to look: Very low in the western sky. Get away from buildings, trees, and hills that obstruct a view of the horizon.
Visual guides: March 12 - look just to the left of the crescent moon. March 13 - below the crescent moon, by about the width of your fist when held at arm's length.  March 14 - about 2 fists below and slightly right of the moon.
What to look for: see the pic above. It'll be head-down with a tail trailing.
Can I see it without visual aids? Binoculars or even a telescope are highly recommended. Time-lapse photography with the proper settings will also likely capture it.

More information on the comet sighting can be found in this Sky and Telescope article or check out SpaceWeather.com.  This will be the only viewing for this comet EVER due to it's orbit taking it into deep space.

If you happen to see it, let us know on our social media channels below.  You can also follow those for the latest forecast conditions for this week's viewing opportunities.

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NASA provides ultra-high-definition time-lapse views of 2012 Venus transit

It was a rare event - the Venus transit that occurred during the evening hours on June 4, 2012 - something none of you reading this will ever see again in your lifetime.  If you missed it, NASA gives you a second chance.  If you watched it, I can assure you that you didn't see it like this!



From the YouTube description of this video:

Launched on Feb. 11, 2010, the Solar Dynamics Observatory, or SDO, is the most advanced spacecraft ever designed to study the sun. During its five-year mission, it will examine the sun's atmosphere, magnetic field and also provide a better understanding of the role the sun plays in Earth's atmospheric chemistry and climate. SDO provides images with resolution 8 times better than high-definition television and returns more than a terabyte of data each day.

On June 5 2012, SDO collected images of the rarest predictable solar event--the transit of Venus across the face of the sun. This event happens in pairs eight years apart that are separated from each other by 105 or 121 years. The last transit was in 2004 and the next will not happen until 2117.

The videos and images displayed here are constructed from several wavelengths of extreme ultraviolet light and a portion of the visible spectrum. The red colored sun is the 304 angstrom ultraviolet, the golden colored sun is 171 angstrom, the magenta sun is 1700 angstrom, and the orange sun is filtered visible light. 304 and 171 show the atmosphere of the sun, which does not appear in the visible part of the spectrum.

This video is public domain and can be downloaded at: http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010900/a010996/index.html


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Space invaders: details on Earth's upcoming close encounter with an asteroid

During the early evening on Tuesday, November 8 (tomorrow if you are reading this on Monday), an asteroid called 2005 YU55 will make a close encounter with Earth.  Now don't worry - NASA has assured us that we are not in harm's way and no species will be extinct Wednesday morning from a collision!  However, it is the first time that an asteroid this large will make a close approach with prior knowledge of it doing so, allowing astronomers a chance to gather valuable data on 20005 YU55 as it zips by.  Here are some factoids:

Name: 2005 YU55
Size: 400 meters (about the size of an aircraft carrier)
Closest approach to Earth: 201,700 miles at 5:28pm CST Tuesday
Distance to the moon from Earth: 252,386 miles (on November 8)
Last Earth approach of an asteroid this large: 1976 (not known until 2000 though)
Next Earth approach of an asteroid this large: 2028

Will Mid-Southerners be able to see it?  Not likely - for two reasons. First, NASA indicates that a mid-size telescope (or better) will be required for backyard astronomers to view it.  Not many of us have that type of instrumentation. Second, if you did, unfortunately the weather will likely not cooperate. A storm system arriving Tuesday night will be throwing a large amount of cloud cover over the Mid-South throughout the day Tuesday. Even with the proper telescope and the knowledge to use it, clouds will likely obscure the phenomena. We'll have to resort to seeing other's reports of it on the news!  Below is an animated image of the path of 2005 YU55 relative to the path of Earth and the moon, courtesy of NASA.

For even more information from NASA on 2005 YU55, watch the two-minute video embedded below.

Information above courtesy SpaceWeather.com and NASA.  Visit these sites for additional info.

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For weather information for Memphis and the Mid-South, where and when you need it, visit MemphisWeather.net on the web, m.memphisweather.net on your mobile phone, download our iPhone or Android apps, or visit us on Facebook or Twitter.

International Space Station captures Memphis at night

Can you find the city of Memphis in this "night lights" image taken from the International Space Station on October 29, 2010? The answer is posted below. Click either image for a larger version. (Hint: one of the brightest cities in this image is New Orleans.)

For more information on the photo, click this link from NASA.

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