Sleep from Space : Astronomy for Peaceful Dreams
The Annual Solar Eclipse of October 14th visible in the USA
Journey through the cosmos as we explore the awe-inspiring annular solar eclipse of October 14, 2024. In this episode, we'll unravel the celestial mechanics behind this "ring of fire" phenomenon, tracing its path across the Americas and delving into the cosmic coincidences that make such events possible.From the mountains of Oregon to the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, we'll guide you through the eclipse's journey, explaining what viewers can expect to see and experience. We'll also explore the broader context of this event, including its place in the Saros cycle and its connection to the total solar eclipse just six months later.Join us for a Carl Sagan-inspired voyage that will not only lull you to sleep but also leave you with a deeper appreciation of our place in the vast cosmic arena. Whether you're an astronomy enthusiast or simply curious about the wonders of the night sky, this episode promises to ignite your cosmic imagination and provide a perspective that's truly out of this world.Prepare to drift off to sleep pondering the elegant truths of the universe and the exquisite interrelationships that govern our cosmic neighborhood. Sweet dreams await under the ring of fire!
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- Broadcast on:
- 08 Oct 2024
- Audio Format:
- other
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That's why I'm interested in citizens' ballot measures around the country to reduce the power of political parties. Colorado votes on 1-2. Right now, election rules allow political insiders to hand-pick party nominees. It's the reason we're usually stuck voting for the lesser of two evils. Colorado's plan creates an open primary where all candidates appear on one primary ballot. Every voter has the freedom to vote for any candidate, no matter which party. The Colorado plan advances four candidates to the general election, not two. That means more choices for voters in the primary and general election. Get the facts. Elections belong to the voters, not political parties. Paid for by veterans for all voters, Anthony Haas registered agent. The use of military rank and job titles does not imply endorsement by the Department of the Army or the Department of Defense of this ballot measure. Colorado shock media. Welcome, cosmic voyagers, to another enlightening episode of Sleep from Space. Tonight, we embark on a celestial journey to explore one of the most captivating astronomical events. The annular solar eclipse set to grace our skies on October 14, 2024. As you settle into your cosmic cradle, prepare to be awed by the intricate dance of celestial bodies that orchestrates this grand spectacle. In the vast cosmic arena, our pale blue dot, Earth, is but a tiny actor in an eternal cosmic ballet. Yet on this special day in October 2024, our humble planet will align with its celestial partners in a performance as old as the solar system itself. Picture, if you will, our home world, a jewel of blue and white spinning on its axis as it races around the sun at a staggering 67,000 miles per hour. Now imagine our faithful companion, the moon, in its eternal orbit around us, circling our planet every 27.3 days. On this extraordinary day, these cosmic dancers will align in such a way that, from our vantage point on Earth, the moon will pass directly in front of the sun. But here's where the magic truly happens. The moon will be near its apogee, the farthest point in its elliptical orbit from Earth. As a result, it will appear slightly smaller in our sky, unable to completely cover the sun's brilliant face. The result? A ring of solar fire encircling the moon's dark silhouette, a celestial ring forged not by any cosmic blacksmith, but by the elegant precision of orbital mechanics. This, dear dreamers, is an annular solar eclipse. Let's delve deeper into the mechanics of this celestial event. The moon's orbit around Earth is not perfectly circular, but elliptical. This means that the moon's distance from Earth varies as it orbits. At its closest approach, perigee, the moon is about 225,623 miles from Earth. At its farthest point, apogee, it's about 252,088 miles away. This difference of about 26,465 miles is enough to create a noticeable change in the moon's apparent size in our sky. Simultaneously, Earth orbits the sun in a similarly elliptical path. When Earth is closest to the sun, perigee, which occurs in early January, it's about 91.4 million miles away. At its farthest, Ophelion, in early July, Earth is about 94.5 million miles from the sun. This orbital dance affects the apparent size of the sun in our sky, albeit to a lesser degree than the moon's size changes. Now picture these three celestial bodies, the Earth, moon, and sun, all moving in their cosmic choreography. For an annular eclipse to occur, several conditions must align. One, the moon must be in the new moon phase positioned between Earth and the sun. Two, the moon must be near its apogee appearing smaller in the sky. Three, the Earth, moon, and sun must be in near perfect alignment. When these conditions are met, we experience the wonder of an annular eclipse. The moon, appearing smaller due to its position in its orbit, is unable to completely cover the sun's disc. Instead, it leaves a ring of the sun's photosphere visible, the famous ring of fire. But when and where can we witness this cosmic spectacle, the path of annularity, where this ring of fire will be visible, will trace an arc across the Americas. It begins its journey in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, specifically in Oregon's Cascade Siski U National Monument at 9.13 AM PDT on October 14, 2024. Like a cosmic messenger, the moon's shadow will race southeast across the country at supersonic speeds. It will clip the corner of California before entering Nevada at 9.22 AM PDT, passing just south of Great Basin National Park. The shadow then sweeps across Utah, passing through the otherworldly landscape of Natural Bridges National Monument at 10.28 AM PDT. Next, our celestial shadow play enters Colorado, gracing Mesa Verde National Park with its presence at 10.31 AM PDT. Continuing its journey, the shadow crosses into New Mexico, where observers in Albuquerque will witness the ring of fire at 10.34 AM PDT. The eclipse reaches Texas at 11.41 AM PDT, treating the historic city of San Antonio to the spectacle at 11.52 AM PDT. Finally, it bids farewell to the United States near Corpus Christi at 11.58 AM PDT, before continuing its journey across Central and South America. For those fortunate enough to be within this path of annularity, the eclipse will last between four and five minutes, depending on your exact location. During this time, you'll witness the breathtaking ring of fire effect, a site that has inspired awe and wonder in humans since time immemorial, but what exactly will you see during this celestial event? As the eclipse begins, you'll notice a small, dark notch appear on one edge of the sun. Over the next hour or so, this notch will grow, looking as if a cosmic entity is taking an ever larger bite out of our star. As the moment of annularity approaches, the world around you will start to dim. It won't become as dark as during a total solar eclipse. The ring of sunlight prevents that, but the light will take on an eerie, silvery quality. Shadows will sharpen, and you might notice animals becoming quieter, confused by this false dusk. Then, as the center of annularity arrives, you'll see the moon centered in front of the sun, surrounded by a brilliant ring of sunlight. This is the ring of fire, a cosmic light show that demonstrates the precise dance of celestial bodies. After a few minutes, the ring will break, and the moon will begin to move off the sun's disk. Over the next hour, you'll see the bite in the sun shrink until it disappears entirely, marking the end of the eclipse. For those outside this narrow path of annularity, fear not. A partial solar eclipse will be visible across most of North and Central America. The farther you are from the path of annularity, the smaller the bite taken out of the sun will appear. Even a partial eclipse is a reminder of our place in this grand celestial dance. Now, you might wonder, when will we next bear witness to such a spectacle? The cosmic clockwork that governs these events operates on a grand scale. This particular series of eclipses known to astronomers as Sorrows 134 occurs every 18 years and 11 days. The Sorrows cycle, discovered by ancient Babylonian astronomers, is a period of 223 synodic months, approximately 6,585.3 days, that can be used to predict eclipses of the sun and moon. The next annular eclipse in this series will grace our skies on October 25, 2042. In the blink of a cosmic eye, we're treated to two of nature's grandest shows. As you drift towards slumber, ponder the cosmic coincidences that make these events possible. Our moon is about 400 times smaller than the sun, yet it's also about 400 times closer to Earth. This cosmic quirk of scale and distance allows for the perfect celestial alignments we call eclipses. It's a coincidence that won't last forever. The moon is slowly moving away from Earth at a rate of about 1.5 inches, 3.8 centimeters per year. In the distant future, total solar eclipses will become impossible as the moon will appear too small to completely cover the sun's disk. The annular eclipse also reminds us of the dynamic nature of our solar system. The fact that we can predict these events with pinpoint accuracy years, even centuries in advance is a testament to our understanding of celestial mechanics. It's a triumph of human curiosity and scientific endeavor, allowing us to anticipate and prepare for these cosmic alignments. As Carl Sagan once said, the cosmos is full beyond measure of elegant truths, of exquisite interrelationships, of the awesome machinery of nature. The annular eclipse is but one example of this elegant cosmic machinery at work. It's a celestial clock, ticking away the eons, marking the passage of time on a cosmic scale. [MUSIC]