Sunday, May 5, 2024
On Saturday, March 9, the Morris Federation held its monthly meeting in the James Coryell Room at the Coryell Museum and Historical Center.
The program was presented by Joyce Talbott, who majored in math and science and taught school for 27 years, some of those at Gatesville Elementary School. She joined the Lions Club in April of 2022, and her willingness to help with any and all Lions Club projects resulted in her being named “Lion of the Year” for 2022. She is also a member of CRSP and volunteers at the Gatesville Care Center. She is married to Charles Talbott, and they have two children, Clint and Valerie.
A Total Solar Eclipse
Joyce has also been a vital part of planning and helping Gatesville prepare for a major upcoming event: the total solar eclipse, which will occur on April 8, 2024. A total solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, and the three bodies are in perfect alignment with one another. When the moon is at its closest distance to Earth and appears to be the same size as the sun, it will completely block out the face of the sun. This type of solar eclipse is special because it is the only eclipse where viewers can momentarily remove their eclipse glasses as the moon completely covers the sun. Talbott warned, “Looking at the sun when it is not totally covered can damage the eyes.”
Other Types of Eclipses
There are three other types of solar eclipses: An annular solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the Earth and sun. The bodies are aligned, but the moon is at or near its farthest point from the Earth. Its shadow on the sun will thus appear smaller than the sun, and the eclipse will resemble a small black disk on top of a larger, bright disk, and it leaves a bright ring of sun exposed around its shadow. The last annual eclipse in the U.S. was on Oct. 14, 2023. A partial solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Earth and sun, but without being in a straight line, and thus only a part of the sun is blacked out. This gives it a crescent shape, making it look like a bite has been taken out of the sun. It is probably the most common eclipse. The hybrid solar eclipse is the rarest eclipse. Because the Earth’s surface is curved, an eclipse will sometimes shift between an annular and a total eclipse.
Gatesville will be in the path of a total eclipse of the sun on April 8, 2024. It will be visible in parts of 13 states: Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. Observers here will be able to see the partial phase of the eclipse begin at 12:19 p.m. At 1:36 p.m., totality will occur when the moon’s path will completely obscure the sun for a total of 4 minutes, 23.9 seconds. The last contact will occur at 2:59 p.m.
People located nearest the center of the width of the track left by the moon’s shadow when it hits the Earth will experience the longest period of total coverage of the Sun. Gatesville’s central location will allow this longer period of totality, whereas other sites may only experience a minute or a little less of totality. The sky will darken, as if it were dawn or dusk. Weather permitting, observers may view the sun’s atmosphere, called the corona, which sometimes may put on a little display.
During totality, it is not unusual for this to confuse animals and insects. Nocturnal animals may stir about, whereas birds may stop chirping and settle down for the night or “roost,” and cows in the pasture may walk back toward the barn. Most insects may quieten down, while others like crickets and cicada may become louder. Some people experience an eerie feeling, like the world is standing still. Mrs. Talbott shared, “This may seem a bit strange, but I would urge viewers to take time to listen to the eclipse and to feel the eclipse. This may be the only total solar eclipse you ever have a chance to view.”
‘Diamond Ring Effect’
Another thing Mrs. Talbott urged viewers to watch for was the ‘diamond ring effect’ in a total solar eclipse. She explained, “As the moon comes close to completely covering the sun, the eclipse will take on a diamond ring appearance. This occurs again as the moon begins to leave its full coverage of the sun; then the diamond ring effect appears on the other side of the eclipse.”
So, why is this eclipse so special? And, how rare is a total solar eclipse? Mrs. Talbott explained, “Total solar eclipses may occur an average of once every 18 months and are visible from someplace on the Earth’s surface. That’s still only an average of twice every 3 years, and each time they appear, they can only be viewed from a small portion of our big planet. They occur in different places, like over other countries or continents or even in the middle of nowhere like over the South Pacific or Antarctica.” She continued, “The last time a total solar eclipse crossed a portion of the United States was in 2017. Prior to that, it had been 38 years since the eclipse of 1979 crossed over the Pacific Northwest.” Another will occur in 2026, touching fringes of Greenland, Iceland, and Spain. North America will not experience totality again until 2033, with only part of Alaska able to witness it. Then, in 2044, another total solar eclipse will occur over North America, but only parts of western Canada, Montana, and the Dakotas will be able to view it. The path of totality for a 2045 total solar eclipse will run coast to coast from California to Florida.
The total solar eclipse of 2017 provided a view of totality over parts of about 14 states, but there are some differences between that eclipse and the upcoming one:
Gatesville city planners are anticipating a large crowd of visitors for this event. They have been busy making plans. Brad Hunt, Police Chief, has called in additional police officers, not anticipating more crime, but rather management of traffic, etc. Restaurants, grocery stores, businesses, and motels are making plans. RV and tent camping areas are being made ready. A wide variety of activities and special events are being arranged for April 5-8. These include a presentation by NASA Ambassador Liam Finn in the City Auditorium on April 6 entitled “Syzygy: Exploring the Science and Wonder of the Solar Eclipse” (free admission, but tickets required). The museum will be open, allowing 60 visitors maximum at one time. There will be a “BLOCK (out the Sun) Party on the Square April 6-7 with lots of activities for all ages, and the Texas Station Events Center will host activities on those nights. Look at articles in The Gatesville Messenger for more information about times and locations of events.
Lastly, Mrs. Talbott mentioned a few things that we can do ahead of eclipse weekend. These included things such as getting solar eclipse glasses in advance, stocking up on groceries (to avoid the crowds and help our grocery stores meet needs that weekend), filling vehicles up with gasoline (also to avoid crowds and to help alleviate the chance of a gas shortage over the weekend), and filling prescriptions early and getting some extra cash (to help avoid ATM’s running out of cash). In conclusion, she suggested “take off eclipse day if possible and stay flexible, participate in activities, watch the eclipse from home, record your memories, have fun and enjoy the experience!”
