A total solar eclipse will occur on Monday, August 21, 2017! In Wisconsin, we will only experience a partial solar eclipse, but we will have a viewing event at Harrington Beach State Park from 11am – 3pm.
Although a partial solar eclipse is an interesting phenomenon, we heartily encourage everyone to experience “totality” — where the Moon completely covers the Sun — if at all possible. Only totality will:
- darken the sky significantly
- reveal the outer atmosphere of the Sun (known as the corona)
- show flame-like structures coming off the edge of the Sun (known as prominences)
- drop the air temperature noticeably and still the air
- cause animals to behave strangely
- provide a 360-degree sunset experience
The path of totality is a band approximately 70 miles wide that stretches from Salem, OR to Charleston, SC. Rather than re-create all of the excellent Internet resources already available, we are providing links to more information. Explore what’s out there and if you have questions or would like to arrange an Eclipse 2017 presentation for your group, you can always contact us — we’re happy to help!
- Smarter Every Day Episode 171 — How To Watch The Eclipse (And Shadow Snakes)
- 2017 Total Solar Eclipse Podcast — Weekly podcast by Michael Bakich
- St. Joseph Eclipse — Massive public eclipse event in St. Joeseph, MO
- Great American Eclipse — Biggest clearinghouse of eclipse information & gear
- Interactive Google Eclipse Map — desktop computer planning tool
- TOTALITY — free app for Apple & Android — mobile planning tool
- NASA Eclipse 2017 Webpage — explanations, animations, activities
- American Astronomical Society Eclipse 2017 Webpage — for the pros and their fans
- TED-Ed Total Solar Eclipse Lesson — great general overview of total solar eclipses
- Eclipse Art Posters — fantastic artwork created by a professional astronomer