A Total Eclipse of the Sun
March 21, 2024
As you may have heard, for about two and half minutes on Monday, April 8th, from about 1:40pm to 1:43pm, Bedford and the surrounding area will be plunged into darkness under a total solar eclipse.
A solar eclipse, according Wikipedia, “occurs when the Moon, in its new-moon-phase, passes between Earth and the Sun, obscuring the view of the Sun from a small part of the Earth.” In this case, for Bedford, a total eclipse is when “the Sun is fully obscured.” While “total solar eclipses occur somewhere on Earth every 18 months, on average,” Wikipedia states, “they recur at any given place only once every 360 years to 410 years.”
The Bedford Public Library is offering a chance to learn about the eclipse on Sunday, March 24th, with a presentation from a NASA Solar System Ambassador. More information on this presentation is available here, on the library website… https://bit.ly/3PoN0U4
SOLAR ECLIPSE WATCH PARTY
In addition, the library is holding a Solar Eclipse Watch Party on April 8th, with details available on the library website, here… https://bit.ly/48Xsocr
PLAY-BY-PLAY FOR ANYWHERE IN BEDFORD
In the meantime, for where ever you are in Bedford or the surrounding area, specifically, below is the start-to-finish, play-by-play schedule of this approximately two-hour event from TimeAndDate.com… https://bit.ly/3TiPV1L
12:22:57pm ECLIPSE BEGINS
The moment the edge of the Moon touches the edge of the Sun is called first contact.
12:24pm MOON BITES SUN
Using eclipse glasses, the eclipse starts to become visible to the eye.
12:45pm OBSCURATION AROUND 20%
One-fifth of the area of the Sun’s disk is covered by the Moon.
12:53pm TEMPERATURE CHANGES
As the Moon covers the Sun, the amount of solar energy decreases.
1:01pm SHARP & BLURRY SHADOWS
Shadow edges that are aligned with the Sun’s narrowing crescent become sharper.
1:08pm BRIGHTNESS OF SKY
As the eclipse progresses, the sky starts to become noticeably darker.
1:16pm TEMPERATURE, HUMIDITY & WIND
Conditions continue to change as the amount of solar energy decreases.
1:24pm LIGHT LEVELS & COLORS
Surroundings start to darken, while colors start to turn grayish.
1:32pm REACTION OF NATURE
The behavior of animals and plants starts to be affected by falling levels of light.
1:35pm DARK SHADOW ON HORIZON
The Moon’s umbral shadow may become visible as it approaches from the west.
1:38pm SHADOW BANDS
Faint waves of light may be seen moving across the ground and walls.
1:40:25pm CORONO APPEARS
The corona—the outer part of the Sun’s atmosphere—starts to become visible.
1:40:30pm DARK SHADOW SWEEPS IN
The Moon’s umbral shadow arrives from the west and envelops the surroundings.
1:40:35pm DIAMOND RING
The corona forms a ring around the dark Moon, while the Sun dazzles like a jewel.
1:40:40pm BAILY’S BEADS
Just before totality, beads of sunlight stream through valleys along the edge of the Moon.
1:40:45pm TOTALITY BEGINS
The moment the edge of the Moon covers all of the Sun is called second contact.
1:40:46pm CHROMOSPHERE
The chromosphere — a thin, red layer of the Sun’s atmosphere — is briefly visible.
1:40:47pm PROMINENCES
Reddish, tongue-like prominences may poke out from the Sun during totality.
1:40:47pm CORONA
During totality, the ghostly corona shines as brightly as a Full Moon.
1:42:12pm MAXIMUM ECLIPSE
The deepest point of the eclipse, with the Sun at its most hidden.
1:43:34pm CHROMOSPHERE
Just before the end of totality, the chromosphere briefly reappears.
1:43:34pm TOTALITY ENDS
The moment the edge of the Moon exposes the Sun is called third contact.
1:43:40pm BAILY’S BEADS
A new set of Baily’s beads appears, signaling the end of totality.
1:43:41pm SHADOW BANDS
Faint waves of light may reappear along the ground and walls.
1:43:44pm DIAMOND RING
Baily’s beads come together to form another dazzling jewel of sunlight.
1:43:54pm DARK SHADOW SWEEPS OUT
The Moon’s umbral shadow departs toward the east.
1:43:59pm CORONA FADES
The ring of the corona around the Moon disappears from view.
1:48pm DARK SHADOW ON HORIZON
The Moon’s umbral shadow may be visible in the distance as it retreats to the east.
1:52pm NATURE RETURNS TO NORMAL
Animals and plants are going back to their usual behavior.
2:07pm LIGHT LEVELS & TEMPERATURE
The conditions of the sky and surroundings are returning to normal.
2:39pm OBSCURATION AROUND 20%
One-fifth of the area of the Sun’s disk is covered by the Moon.
3:02:14pm ECLIPSE ENDS
The moment the edge of the Moon leaves the edge of the Sun is called fourth contact.
Bedford Journal Project
Bedford, TX
info@BedfordJP.com
Copyright 2024
Community journalism for Bedford based on the premise that an informed community is an empowered community.
