Latest / Kidcast Daily / Ep366: Solar and Lunar Eclipse

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Ep366: Solar and Lunar Eclipse · Kidcast Daily

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  Spin the wheel, let's take a ride.
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  Sports and science bursting from inside a world of wonder.
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  Open wide. Come on kids, let's amplify kid
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  caps. Daily starts your day.
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  Fun and laughter come your way. Sports and trivia games galore.
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  Hey there curious minds, you're listening to Kick Ass Daily,
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  your go to show for amazing stories, wild facts, cool
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  science and the latest news. Today we're exploring solar and
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  lunar eclipses using clear steps, real examples and helpful
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  tips you can use the next time when it appears in the sky.
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  So let's get on with today's episode.
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  First, let's set the stage with what an eclipse is.
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  An eclipse happens when the Sun, the moon, and Earth line up in a
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  straight path. That lineup can cause shadows to
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  fall in special ways. There are two main kinds you can
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  see from Earth solar eclipses and lunar eclipses.
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  In a solar eclipse, the moon moves in front of the sun from
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  our point of view on Earth. In a lunar eclipse, Earth moves
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  between the sun and the moon and Earths shadow falls on the moon.
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  Let's start with solar eclipses. The moon orbits Earth and
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  sometimes passes in front of the sun.
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  When this happens, the moon blocks some or all of the Suns
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  light. There are three types of solar
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  eclipse. A total solar eclipse is when
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  the moon completely covers the sun for a short time.
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  A partial solar eclipse is when the moon covers only part of the
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  sun. An annular solar eclipse is when
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  the moon is a bit farther from Earth, so it looks smaller and a
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  thin ring of the sun stays visible around the moon.
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  Did you know? The path where a total solar
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  eclipse is visible is usually only about 100 to 200 kilometers
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  wide. People outside that path see a
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  partial eclipse instead. For lunar eclipses, these happen
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  when Earth sits between the sun and the moon.
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  Earth's shadow stretches out into space and covers the moon.
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  If the whole moon moves into the darkest part of Earth's shadow,
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  that's a total lunar eclipse. If only part of the moon goes
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  into the darkest shadow, that's a partial lunar eclipse.
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  There is also a penumbral lunar eclipse when the moon passes
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  through the lighter outer part of Earth's shadow.
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  This one can be harder to notice because the change is gentle.
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  Here's a yes or no question. Can you safely watch a lunar
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  eclipse without special eye protection?
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  Yes, you can. A lunar eclipse is safe to view
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  with your eyes, binoculars, or a telescope.
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  Because you are looking at sunlight reflected off the moon,
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  it is dimmer than looking at the sun.
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  With a solar eclipse, that is different.
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  Never look directly at the sun without proper solar filters or
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  certified eclipse glasses. Regular sunglasses do not
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  protect your eyes. A good way to enjoy a solar
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  eclipse is to use a pinhole projector.
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  You can make one with a cereal box, some white paper, and a
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  small hole in foil. The image of the sun appears on
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  the paper inside the box. Let's talk about shadows because
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  they are the key to eclipses. During a solar eclipse, the
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  moon's shadow has two main parts.
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  The umbra is the darkest center where the sun is fully blocked.
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  If you're standing in the umbra, you see a total solar eclipse.
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  The penumbra is the outer part where the Sun is only partly
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  blocked, so you see a partial eclipse.
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  During a lunar eclipse, Earth's shadow also has an umbra and a
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  penumbra, and the Moon passes through them as it moves in its
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  orbit. Here's a trivia question you
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  might not expect during a total solar eclipse.
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  Small bright spots can appear along the edge of the moon just
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  before totality ends or begins. What are those bright spots
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  called? They're called Bailey's beads.
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  They happen because sunlight passes through valleys and gaps
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  along the moon's rough edge. They do not last long, but they
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  are a special feature people look for during total solar
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  eclipses. Timing is interesting too.
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  A solar eclipse only lasts a short time in anyone place.
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  In totality, the blackout can be just a couple of minutes.
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  Did you know the maximum possible length of totality is a
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  little over 7 minutes. Most totalities are shorter.
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  Lunar eclipses are slower because Earth's shadow is wide.
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  A total lunar eclipse can last more than an hour from the
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  moment the moon is fully inside the umbra until it starts to
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  leave. You might be asking why eclipses
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  do not happen every month. Since the moon orbits Earth
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  about once every 27 days, and we have new and full moons
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  regularly. The answer is tilt.
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  The moon's orbit is tilted about 5° compared to Earth's path
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  around the sun. That tilt means the moon is
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  usually a little above or below the Direct Line between Earth
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  and the Sun. Eclipses happen only when the
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  lineup occurs near the points where the Moon's path crosses
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  Earth's path. These points are called nodes.
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  Did you know eclipse seasons happen about every six months
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  when the sun is near those nodes, giving us a chance for a
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  solar or lunar eclipse? Here's a yes or no question that
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  adds a new twist. Do solar eclipses happen on
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  every new moon? No, a solar eclipse can only
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  happen at new moon. But most new moons miss the
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  exact lineup because of the tilt, so there is no eclipse
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  that month. Only when the new moon happens
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  near a node do we get a solar eclipse.
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  Let's bring this closer to daily life.
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  If a solar eclipse is coming to your area, schools, museums, and
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  science centers often host safe viewing events.
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  People use eclipse glasses with a special filter labeled ISO
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  12,312 to 2. They check for scratches and
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  cracks before using them. Another real world method is a
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  calendar from a kitchen. If sunlight passes through the
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  small holes during a partial eclipse, the shadows on the
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  ground show many tiny Crescent shapes.
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  Here is a trivia question that adds a fresh detail.
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  What is the longest total solar eclipse totality you could ever
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  experience in one place during one event?
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  About 7 minutes and 30 seconds is the upper limit.
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  Most places get less than 3 minutes, and the exact time
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  depends on where you're along the eclipse path.
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  Did you know during a total lunar eclipse the moon can look
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  dark red or copper colored? That happens because some
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  sunlight passes through earths atmosphere and is bent into the
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  shadow. Dust clouds and air conditions
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  can change how bright or dark it looks.
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  Photographers use tripods and longer exposure times to capture
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  it clearly because the moon surface appears dim.
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  Here's a yes or no question with a fun observation.
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  During a total solar eclipse, do some animals change their
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  behavior, such as birds getting quiet or daytime insects pausing
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  activity? Yes, some animals respond to the
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  sudden change in light and temperature by acting as if
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  evening has arrived. Zoos and nature parks sometimes
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  record these changes to learn more about animal behavior.
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  Did you know astronauts on the International Space Station can
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  see the moon shadow racing across Earth during a solar
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  eclipse? From space, the shadow looks
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  like a dark spot moving over land and ocean.
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  Satellites help scientists predict eclipse paths very
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  precisely, often down to a few 100 meters.
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  People often wonder when the next eclipse will happen where
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  they live. You can check maps from reliable
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  sources such as national observatories or space agencies.
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  These maps show the path, the times for first contact and last
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  contact, and how much of the sun will be covered in your city.
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  Planning ahead helps you get to a good viewing spot with clear
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  skies and safe gear. Another trivia question to
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  expand your eclipse toolkit. Just before a total solar
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  eclipse becomes complete, the last bright point of the sun can
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  shine through a single lunar valley, creating a special
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  sparkle. What is this moment called?
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  It is called the diamond ring effect.
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  It is brief and after it ends, the Sun's bright surface is
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  fully covered during totality. Did you know the Moon is slowly
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  moving away from Earth by about 3.8cm each year?
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  Far in the future, total solar eclipses will become rarer
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  because the moon will appear slightly smaller in our sky.
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  For now, we still get amazing total annular and partial to
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  study and enjoy. Before we wrap U, let's do a
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  quick safety and lanning checklist for a solar eclipse.
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  Use certified eclipse glasses or a solar filter for binoculars or
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  telescopes. Do not look through cameras,
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  binoculars, or telescopes without a proper solar filter.
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  Practice with a pinhole projector the day before for a
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  lunar eclipse. Grab a blanket, a warm jacket if
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  it is cool, and binoculars to see more detail on the lunar
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  surface. Time for a final yes or no
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  question that opens a new angle. Can a total lunar eclipse be
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  seen by people on both sides of a continent at the same time if
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  the moon is above the horizon? Yes.
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  A lunar eclipse is visible from anywhere on the night side of
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  Earth at that time, so many regions can watch together.
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  Let's recap what we learned today.
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  A solar eclipse happens when the moon blocks the sun from Earth's
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  point of view, and it can be total, partial, or annular.
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  A lunar eclipse happens when Earth's shadow falls on the
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  moon, and it can be total, partial, or penumbral.
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  Shadows have an umbra and a penumbra.
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  Solar eclipses require eye protection or indirect viewing
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  methods. Lunar eclipses are safe to watch
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  with your eyes or binoculars. Eclipses do not happen every
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  month because the moon's orbit is tilted.
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  They cluster and eclipse seasons about every six months.
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  We explored special features such as Bailey's beads and the
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  diamond ring effect, learned about timing paths and safe
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  viewing, and discovered that animals and even astronauts
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  notice eclipses in different ways.
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  Keep your eyes on upcoming eclipse announcements, plan
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  safely and enjoy the next show in the sky and.
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  Be on breakfast feeling fine, adventures waiting.
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  Don't be late. Today's the day we celebrate.
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  Kid Cast Daily starts your day.