Dear Friends,
I hope everyone is doing well in these challenging times. I’ve been getting a lot of questions about tomorrow’s solar eclipse, so sending out a brief bit of information:
- Date of solar eclipse: Sunday, June 21, 2020.
- This is an annular solar eclipse, which means the Moon is in a part of its orbit where it is too far from Earth to fully block the Sun, so there is still a ring of sunlight around the Moon during annularity. The figure below shows the idea, which is explained further in this video. Note: you must keep eclipse glasses on at all times when viewing an annular solar eclipse.
- This eclipse will NOT be visible in the Americas. To see it, you must be on the path shown on this map.
- I’ve never seen an annular eclipse myself, but it should be great if you get a chance to see one. Still, it won’t have the drama of a total solar eclipse. Please remember to download my free Totality app if you want to see a total solar eclipse, including the one upcoming in December of this year and the next one in the United States, which will be in 2024.
- Fyi, it is just a coincidence that this eclipse follows so closely on the heels of today’s June solstice, which is the “longest day” of the year for the Northern Hemisphere. If you’d like to understand solstices and seasons, you may wish to see this section of my new project for middle school science.
Finally, on a separate note: I think it is important for all of us to recognize the realities of the challenges facing our country and our world today, and for each of us to step up to do what we can to help meet those challenges. With that in mind, I have decided to show my commitment to equal justice and black lives matter by donating all 2020 proceeds for my 6 children’s books to support education and empowerment of black youth. This donation will most likely go to the National Urban League, but if any of you would like to suggest alternative recipients, please let me know.
Best,
Jeff