Sun Series: Minisode! Countdown to Total Solar Eclipse 2024

01Hey, space nerds, it is time.

02On Monday, that's April 8th, 2024, tens of millions of people in the United States, Mexico, and Canada will see a total solar eclipse.

03Now, a total solar eclipse lasts for just a few minutes.

04And in this special bonus episode of NASA's Curious Universe, we're going to help you make it an unforgettable experience.

05I'm Jacob Penner, co-host of NASA's Curious Universe, and this is your audio guide to the eclipse.

06We have info on how you can watch the eclipse safely, how you can get involved with citizen science or even make a homemade pinhole projector, and how NASA is bringing the eclipse to you in case you can't make it to the path of totality.

07So, let's get into it.

08First things first, here's a quick overview of Monday's eclipse.

09Things get started around midday.

10The Pacific coast of Mexico will see the eclipse first.

11Totality there starts just after 11 a.m.

12Pacific time.

13The path of totality then loops up to the northeast across 13 U.S.

14states from Texas to Maine.

15Then it continues into Canada, and it exits the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland just after 5 p.m.

16local time.

17At most, totality will last for a shade under 4.5 minutes.

18But you can find out the exact moment totality will start in your location and exactly how long it will last at NASA's website.

19We have an interactive map with everything you need to know.

20The address is go.nasa.gov slash eclipse explorer.

21That's go.nasa.gov slash eclipse explorer.

22Okay.

23So, here to help me out is Julia Tilton.

24She's the intern for our audio team.

25Julia, what's going on?

26Hi, Jacob.

27It's great to be here.

28Well, Julia, you have gathered some frequently asked questions about the eclipse, so let's try and answer those.

29What's first?

30Okay.

31So, my first question is, what safety tips do we need to know about the eclipse?

32The short answer is eclipse glasses.

33And the long answer is wear your eclipse glasses.

34No, but really, if you're going to look directly at the sun, please wear eclipse glasses.

35It's just not safe to look directly at the sun with regular sunglasses, no matter how dark they are, and definitely not with the naked eye.

36You can take your eclipse glasses off only during those few minutes of totality.

37Otherwise, do not look at the sun without them.

38If you're with kids, please keep an eye on them, too.

39You want to make sure that they're using their solar viewers properly.

40Also, you might be tempted to hold up a camera lens and take a picture through your eclipse glasses, or even to use your eclipse glasses as a filter for binoculars or a telescope.

41This is not a good idea.

42Those devices can concentrate the sun's rays and cause serious eye injuries.

43Please do not do this.

44Now, if you're scrambling to find eclipse glasses, you may still be able to find them at a local library or a community center.

45And there are also other ways to experience the eclipse without looking directly at the sun.

46You can stick around till the end of this episode.

47We have step-by-step directions for making your own pinhole projector.

48It's a lot of fun to do with kids or anybody who's crafty.

49It's also just a really great way to see the eclipse without eclipse glasses.

50So that's coming up later.

51That sounds cool.

52I always love an excuse for a craft.

53Okay, so here's my next question for you.

54On the show, you've been talking a lot about all the NASA science happening around the sun in the eclipse.

55But how can our listeners get involved with it?

56Yes, if this is up your alley and you want to participate in the eclipse instead of just watching it, NASA has a few different ways you can contribute through something called citizen science.

57First up is SunSketcher.

58This project is based on the fact that the sun is not actually a perfect sphere for reasons that we're just not going to go into here.

59And this project is trying to take measurements of the sun's exact shape.

60So to participate, you'll need to download the SunSketcher app before the eclipse.

61That only takes a few minutes.

62And then as the eclipse is beginning, you'll record this phenomenon called Bailey's beads.

63Those are the last glimmers of sunlight slipping past the moon.

64Then when totality ends, the sun reappears from the other side of the moon, and you'll capture that too.

65The website for that project is sunsketcher.org.

66Please check out their instructions because, as we've said, you should take a lot of precaution when you look at or photograph the sun.

67Another option is the Eclipse Soundscapes project.

68We went into this one in detail in the most recent episode of our Sun series.

69The short version is, during an eclipse, wildlife start behaving like it's nighttime, and this project wants curious people like you to capture what that sounds like.

70You can sign up on their website, eclipsesoundscapes.org.

71There's a short certification process to go through.

72They will also need data analysis after the eclipse, so if you want to help out later, that's a good option too.

73And there are even more NASA citizen science opportunities.

74You can find the full list at go.nasa.gov slash doeclipsescience.

75That's go.nasa.gov slash doeclipsescience.

76Next question for you.

77One of our listeners was curious about whether we will be having fewer total eclipses in the future and more annular ones.

78I love this question because it's so interesting.

79So it turns out that the Moon is slowly moving away from Earth, really slowly.

80Like, it's getting about an inch farther from us each year.

81So in the question you asked about an annular solar eclipse, when that happens, the Moon is farther away from the Earth, so it doesn't completely block out the Sun, and it leaves what's often referred to as a ring of fire.

82So the short answer is that, yes, in the future, we'll have fewer total solar eclipses as a result of this movement, but I don't think any of us should wait around to see it because when you're as far away as the Moon is, one inch a year is really not doing much.

83Okay, gotcha.

84So last question for you.

85Where is the best place to watch this total solar eclipse?

86Well, I would submit that there is no single right answer.

87I really think that the best place is wherever you can watch it.

88You know, you can get in the weeds about the length of totality and the potential for cloud cover wherever you are, and those kind of details, they can enhance your experience.

89But no matter where you are in our wild and wonderful universe, you can also experience the total solar eclipse through NASA's live broadcast.

90It'll be on NASA's YouTube page and, of course, on the agency's streaming platform, NASA+.

91The show starts at 1 p.m.

92Eastern, and if you really want to nerd out, there will also be a telescope-only feed of the eclipse, so you don't miss a single detail.

93You can find NASA Plus at plus.nasa.gov, or you can download the official NASA app.

94Everything related to the eclipse is at go.nasa.gov slash eclipse2024.

95That's go.nasa.gov slash eclipse2024.

96Well, Julia, thank you so much.

97These were great questions, and hopefully it sets people up to have a great total solar eclipse.

98Thanks for having me.

99After the total solar eclipse, the sun is not going anywhere, and neither are we.

100You can join us on a five-part deep dive into the plasma that's a series all about the sun here on NASA's Curious Universe.

101You can find it wherever you listen to this podcast or at nasa.gov slash curiousuniverse.

102We'll see you there.

103This is NASA's Curious Universe.

104This episode was written by me, Julia Tilton.

105And produced by me, Jacob Pinter.

106Our executive producer is Katie Conantz.

107The Curious Universe team includes Christian Elliott, Maddie Olson, Michaela Sosby, and, of course, Patty Boyd.

108Christopher Kim is our show artist.

109Our theme song was composed by Matt Russo and Andrew Santaguida of System Sounds.

110Special thanks to you for being a space nerd and to the moon and sun for putting on a great show.

111If you enjoyed this episode of NASA's Curious Universe, please let us know by leaving us a review and sharing the show with a friend.

112And remember, you can follow NASA's Curious Universe in your favorite podcast app to get a notification each time we post a new episode.

113We love to hear what you're thinking.

114So, if you've got something to say about our sun series or just want to say hi, send us an email to nasa-curiousuniverse at mail.nasa.gov.

115And remember, stay curious.

116Okay, if you're still listening, you are in the right place.

117That means that you want the details on making a pinhole projector for the solar eclipse.

118Well, we've got you covered.

119I'll just say, this also works great if you're not in the path of totality, if you're seeing a partial solar eclipse.

120And that's almost everyone in the United States.

121So, to make a pinhole projector, you'll need a few supplies.

122Two pieces of white cardstock paper, aluminum foil, some tape, scissors, and something to poke a small hole into the cardstock, like a safety pin, a paperclip, a pencil, anything small and pointy.

123First, take one of those pieces of cardstock.

124You'll want to cut a hole that's a square or rectangle shape and about one to two inches wide.

125When that's done, get your foil and tape a small piece of it over that hole.

126Now, flip the cardstock over, use your paperclip, pencil, or other pointy thing to poke a small hole in the foil.

127And then, you're ready to go.

128Keep that second piece of cardstock handy, though.

129Once the eclipse is starting and you're ready to use the pinhole projector, here's what to do.

130Stand outside where you can see the sun, but you want the sun behind you.

131So, turn your back, grab that first piece of cardstock, the one with the foil, and hold it so that the sun is shining down onto the paper.

132And this is where you need your second piece of cardstock.

133So, that goes on the ground so that the first piece is casting a shadow onto that second piece.

134When you look down, voila!

135The sun is being projected onto the paper.

136Once the partial eclipse begins, you can watch safely as the moon travels across the sun, creating a brilliant, miniature eclipse on the ground.

137If you're in the path of totality, you can look up when the sun is completely covered by the moon.

138But before and after that, stick with your pinhole projector unless you have eclipse classes.

139If you want the same effect with even less work, you can use a colander or something else with tiny holes.

140Just angle it so that the sun shines down through it and projects light onto another surface.

141And you can even use your hands.

142Just face away from the sun, hold out your fingers, and overlap your hands so that they make a pattern like a waffle.

143Boom!

144You see the sun projected onto the ground.

145All right.

146Thanks for sticking around till the end and enjoy the total solar eclipse.

147Three, two, one.

148This is an official NASA podcast.