On August 21st, there will be a total solar eclipse - the first one visible in the United States in almost 40 years. Tyler Nordgren is a physics and astronomy professor at the University of Redlands in California and has written a book on eclipses called Sun Moon Earth: The History of Solar Eclipses from Omens of Doom to Einstein and Exoplanets. He’ll give a talk about eclipses on Saturday, April 29 at 11 a.m. during the Kalamazoo Astronomical Society’s Astronomy Day.
Everyone in the United States will see at least a partial eclipse of the sun on August 21 - if the sky is clear. But only people in a narrow band stretching from Oregon to South Carolina will see a total eclipse. But, no matter where you are, Nordgren says it will be an experience you won't want to miss.
He says solar eclipses have influenced human beings throughout history. Some have stopped military battles in their tracks. Others influenced myths and religions. They also help scientists learn more about the star our planet orbits.
Nordgren says the experience of a total solar eclipse can't really be communicated in words or through photographs. He says birds and other animals become quiet as the sky darkens and the air grows cooler.
"The hair stands up on your neck and you get goosebumps...it's this multi-sensory experience. No photograph can do it justice," Nordgren says.
He expects it to be the most-observed solar eclipse in history. He says possibly hundreds-of-millions of people will see it.
"And in the age of social media, this will be the most photographed, the most shared, the most tweeted event in human history," says Nordgren.
For more information on how to view the eclipse safely, go here.
