On April 8th central Arkansas will be in the path of Totality for a solar eclipse!! We will be out of school this day, but I would love for all of my 6th graders to view it if possible. Safe viewing is important. Sun safe viewing glasses can be found just about everywhere right now.

"What is a solar eclipse?

A total solar eclipse occurs when the sun, moon, and Earth line up perfectly, so that the moon appears to block all of the sun's light from certain places on Earth. Though the sun is about four hundred times wider than the moon, the moon is about four hundred times closer to Earth, allowing it to sometimes block out the sun. The places on Earth where people can see a total solar eclipse - called the path of totality - can stretch for thousands of miles in a narrow band. The totality - or time of total darkness - will last about four minutes in most places.

While total solar eclipses are visible from someplace on Earth about once every eighteen months, they only happen about once every four hundred years in the same place - like where you live. A total solar eclipse will be visible in parts of North America on April 8, 2024. Another total solar eclipse will darken parts of Europe on August 12, 2026. 

Annual eclipses, which occur when part of the sun remains visible around the edges of the moon, are more common than total eclipses."

-Excerpt from a book we will be reading in class, A Few Beautiful Minutes Experiencing A Solar Eclipse by Kate Allen Fox

Brief Timeline of an Eclipse:

• Skies begin to darken (about an hour or longer) - The  moon will begin moving in front of the sun and you may begin to notice crescent shapes in the trees!

• Right before total darkness - You may notice a "sunset" on the horizon and begin to see/hear animals begin their night routines (ex. crickets chirping)

• Totality (about 4 minutes) - You will be able to safely look at the sun without solar glasses, as the sky will be dark except for the outer atmosphere of the sun. Temperatures may even drop during this time!

• After total darkness - Put your glasses back on because it will no longer be safe to look at the sun.

• Skies begin to lighten (about an hour or longer) - This will be the opposite of what happened as the solar eclipse began.

This website has some valuable information: sites.google.com/view/2024eclipse/home 

Did you know that there are THOUSANDS of satellites orbiting Earth? Sometimes you can view those satellites from the ground. The Starlink satellites operated by SpaceX are fun to view and it is easy to look up when they will be viewable in your area! Use this website to look up when you will be able to see them where you live. Pay careful attention to the direction they will be traveling so you know where to look. The image to the left was taken by me as I watched them go over my house. So cool!

The moon isn't new and I'm sure you all have seen it many times, but I always think it is interesting to know when full moons are going to occur so I can make sure I catch a glimpse of it. This website includes a full moon calendar. September's full moon is known as the Harvest Moon and is the last supermoon of the year. Supermoons occur when the moon is closest to us in its orbit around Earth. The Harvest Moon will be on Friday, September 29th at 5:57 a.m. ET.

Did you know that we have geckos in Arkansas? I have lived here my whole life and have not seen one in the wild until very recently. The gecko I found is the Mediterranean house gecko and as its name suggests, it is not a native species. They are commonly introduced to new areas by hitching rides in plants. They are nocturnal and like cockroaches so they are often found near human habitation, especially dense human habitation (apartments, etc.). I found this little guy (top image to the left) clinging to the side of my house as I was outside looking at the stars - if I hadn't been looking up I would have never noticed him! A couple of weeks later we found a baby one hanging out on our garage door!

Get your solar eclipse glasses ready! Parts of Arkansas will be within a perfect viewing area for the 2024 total solar eclipse. A total solar eclipse happens when the Moon completely blocks the visible surface of the Sun. The eclipse will occur on April 8, 2024 and we will be out of school that day. I will have more information to come as we get closer to that date, but it may be a good idea to start planning where you will be so that you don't miss it!

While the total solar eclipse will be very cool to see, we will also experience a partial eclipse on Saturday October 14th. Click here to learn more.

*IMPORTANT - Remember to always view an eclipse safely. Click here to learn more about keeping your eyes safe during an eclipse.

Take a look at the 2023 Nobel Prize winners in science:

The Nobel Prize in Physics 2023

Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz and Anne L’Huillier “for experimental methods that generate attosecond pulses of light for the study of electron dynamics in matter”

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2023

Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman “for their discoveries concerning nucleoside base modifications that enabled the development of effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19”

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2023

Moungi G. Bawendi, Louis E. Brus and Alexei I. Ekimov “for the discovery and synthesis of quantum dots” 

Click here to learn more about the 2023 Nobel Prize winners.