Praxis: Your own mini total solar eclipse

By Medicine Hat News on August 19, 2017.

If you are able to get away this weekend and head south to our neighbours, make sure you take time to view the solar eclipse on Aug. 21. This solar eclipse is being called “The Great American Eclipse” as it can be viewed in totality from certain areas in the United States of America. You will be able to see the sun disappear completely behind the moon, turning a sunny day into twilight! Living where we are, it is believed that we will be able to see a partial eclipse, but we will have to wait and see how much. Remember never look at the sun directly, as it will damage your eyes. There are many places where you can purchase special eclipse glasses to wear. Just in case you are not able to see the eclipse, I thought we could make our own so we can all better understand why this is such an important event. Let’s get started!

*Remember to ask an adult before doing this experiment.

Material

– flashlight

– orange

– plasticine

– ruler or metre stick

– table

– masking tape

– white tablecloth

– science helper

Procedure

1. Cover the table with a white tablecloth.

2. Take a piece of plasticine and make a ball about the size of a golf ball.

3. Place the orange in the middle of the table.

4. Measure 20 cm and place the ball of plasticine there, right behind the orange.

5. Measure 60 cm away from the table and mark with a piece of tape.

6. Stand on the marked spot.

7. Kneel down so you are at eye level with the table.

8. Have your science helper shut the lights off.

9. Turn on your flashlight.

10. Hold the flashlight at the same level as the orange and behind the plasticine ball.

11. What do you see?

What is going on?

Total solar eclipses are not only beautiful natural displays in the sky above, they are also important ways for astronomers to study the sun. These displays help Heli physicists learn about the sun’s atmosphere called the corona. A natural solar eclipse allows astronomers to study the lower corona which is much closer to the sun. You created a replica of this atmosphere in your experiment. The plasticine ball you made represents the moon, the flashlight is the sun and the orange is the Earth. When the moon blocks the sun’s light from the Earth, it casts a shadow on the Earth. The umbra is the darker middle part of the shadow and the lighter shadow or the outer rim is called the penumbra.

If you can, make sure you take this event in as the next total solar eclipse in the United States will not be until 2024!

Patty Rooks is senior scientific consultant at PRAXIS, “Connecting Science To The Community.” Contact Praxis at praxis@praxismh.ca, http://www.praxismh.ca, Tweet or follow us @PraxisMedHat, or friend us on Facebook.

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