Dordt prof shares expert tips for viewing the April 8 eclipse

The second “Great American Solar Eclipse” is coming: on Monday, April 8, the moon will pass between the Earth and Sun, plunging a narrow path across North America into darkness. This astronomical wonder is expected to draw millions of viewers from around the world.

If you’re planning to view the eclipse, be sure to consider these details and safety tips from Professor of Chemistry and Planetary Sciences Dr. Channon Visscher.

Who will be able to see the eclipse?

“At least a partial solar eclipse will be visible through most of North America, weather permitting,” he says. “The path of totality—where the Moon completely covers the disk of the Sun, from the perspective of an Earth-bound observer—will travel from the Pacific across northern Mexico and into the eastern United States, on a curve running from Texas to Maine.”

Major U.S. cities within the path of totality include:

• Dallas, Texas
• Indianapolis, Indiana
• Cleveland, Ohio

The Moon’s shadow will travel from the southwest to northeast as the Moon continues in its orbit around the Earth, adds Visscher.

Around 12:40 p.m. Central / Sioux Center time, the Moon will create a partial eclipse by starting to block the Sun’s disk. Maximum eclipse will occur around 2 p.m. Central, with the outgoing partial eclipse ending around 3 p.m. Central.

For those who live in Sioux Center, Visscher has included some April 8 eclipse highlights:

• 12:43 p.m. Central (1743 UTC) partial eclipse begins: the Moon starts to move in front of the Sun, from our perspective.
• 1:57 p.m. Central (1857 UTC) maximum partial eclipse: up to 74% of the Sun’s disk will be blocked by the Moon.
• 3:10 p.m. Central (2010 UTC) partial eclipse ends.

Visscher recommends keeping an eye out on the weather forecast for April 8, “in case you need to chase clear skies.”

“If you want to see a total eclipse—that is, 100% coverage of the Sun’s disk—you’ll need to travel a bit,” he says. “The path of totality gets closest to us as it passes through southeastern Missouri and southern Illinois, with the total eclipse occurring around 2 p.m. Central.”

Interested in watching the eclipse? You’ll need eye protection for that. Note: sunglasses and squinting do not count as appropriate eye protection.

“The requirements for seeing any part of the solar eclipse are minimal: an unobstructed view of the Sun, from anywhere within the Moon’s penumbral shadow,” he says. “However, do not look at the Sun during an eclipse without appropriate eye protection.”

For information about what does count as good eye protection, including welding glasses, paper eclipse glasses, and pinhole projectors, visit https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/safety.

To learn more about how eclipses work, Visscher recommends watching this video.

“I hope that you get a chance to experience this remarkable, extravagant event,” he says.

Dr. Channon Visscher is an Associate Professor of Chemistry & Planetary Sciences at Dordt University. A graduate of Dordt University, he completed his Ph.D. in Earth and Planetary Sciences in 2006 from Washington University in St. Louis with a research emphasis on thermochemical equilibrium models of planetary atmospheres. In 2008 he began working as a postdoc at the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston, Texas, developing thermochemical and photochemical models of planetary atmospheres. In 2011 he joined Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado in exploring new models for lunar formation.

His current research involves modeling physical and chemical processes in planetary and astrophysical environments.

About Dordt University

As an institution of higher education committed to the Reformed Christian perspective, Dordt University equips students, faculty, alumni, and the broader community to work toward Christ-centered renewal in all aspects of contemporary life. Located in Sioux Center, Iowa, Dordt is a comprehensive university named to the best college lists by U.S. News and World Report, the Wall Street Journal, Times Higher Education, Forbes.com, Washington Monthly, and Princeton Review.