>Delivered-To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>X-Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Date: Sat, 10 Jul 1999 21:34:25 +0100
>To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>From: Mary Whitehouse <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>Subject: Fwd: Eclipse Activities
>Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>I though you may be interested in this summary from Alan Pickwick - if you
>have not already heard enough about the eclipse.
>
>
>>From: Alan C Pickwick <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>>Subject: Eclipse Activities
>>To: Multiple recipients of list DISCOVER-INFO
>> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>>
>>Dear All,
>>
>>Please find below a summary of eclipse material that I put together for a
>>recent Institute of Physics training day. I hope you find the activities
>>interesting - please try to get groups to go out and do the experiments.
>>
>>Please pass this on to schools and groups that you are connected to.
>>
>>As you will see, I have mentioned some commercial products. I have no
>>financial interest in any of them.
>>
>>Clear skies for August 11th.
>>
>>Regards, Alan Pickwick
>>Chair, Education Committee, Royal Astronomical Society.
>>
>>++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>>
>>ECLIPSE BACKGROUND RADIATION EXPERIMENT
>>
>>Does the background radiation change during an eclipse? Join a European
>>co-operative experiment amongst working teachers and senior students. The
>>effect we are looking for may be very small so we need lots of help; all
>>you need is a Geiger counter! This experiment can be done even if it is
>>raining on the day!! Information sheet by email from
>>[EMAIL PROTECTED] or call +44 (0)161 973 6796.
>>
>>++++++
>>
>>ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY - ECLIPSE NEWSPAPER COMPETITION
>>
>>For groups of young people. Write newspaper articles about the August 1999
>>Eclipse. Superb prizes. Use the Internet. Information sheet by email
>>from [EMAIL PROTECTED] or call +44 (0)161 973 6796.
>>
>>++++++
>>
>>RADIO LISTENING EXPERIMENT
>>
>>Scientists from Oxfordshire's Rutherford Appleton Laboratory are asking the
>>public to help with some unique experiments during the total solar eclipse
>>on August 11th this year. At this time, RAL, in partnership with
>>universities across the UK, will be measuring the effect of the eclipse on
>>the ionosphere - that part of the earth's atmosphere that reflects radio
>>waves - in order to improve our understanding of how the sun creates this
>>important part of our atmosphere.
>>
>>One such station is broadcast from La Coruna in northern Spain on 639 MW.
>>In the UK, this station can only be heard at night. If we hear it on the
>>morning of August 11th, we know the eclipse has had a dramatic effect on
>>the ionosphere.
>>
>>The only equipment you will need is a MW radio. All information is useful
>>to us, so please let us know what happened, even if you did not hear the
>>radio station. For those of you who are interested in doing this experiment
>>in slightly more detail, follow the internet link -
>>www.wdc.rl.ac.uk/ionosondes/eclipse/outline.html
>>
>>++++++
>>
>>ECLIPSELAB - SHADOW BANDS
>>
>>What are Shadow Bands?
>>Shadow bands visible just prior to totality are an eerie phenomenon. They
>>are only seen just before, and just after, a total eclipse. They look like
>>light and dark bands racing across the ground and are often missed by
>>eclipse-watchers. This is partly because people are too busy looking up,
>>but also because the shadow bands are faint and are best seen against
>>smooth, white surfaces.
>>
>>Who can take part?
>>Because shadow bands take place immediately before and after an eclipse,
>>you will only be able to see them if you live in the Path of Totality or
>>right on its edge. For people on the borderline, you may actually have a
>>better view of the shadow bands, as they will be present for longer.
>>
>>The experiment:
>>This experiment aims to find out more about shadow bands as little research
>>has ever been carried out on this phenomenon, and certainly nothing on this
>>scale. We want to find out whether you experience shadow bands in your
>>area, when they appear and for how long, how clear they are, their spacing,
>>their direction and speed.
>>
>>The science:
>>Shadow bands are like the light and dark streaks you see on the bottom of a
>>sunlit swimming pool, caused by ripples on the surface of the water. But it
>>isn't rippling water that makes shadow bands, it's 'ripples' in the
>>atmosphere. The ripples are variations in the atmosphere, warmer and cooler
>>air masses. We know about these variations because of the twinkling of
>>stars.
>>
>>More information is available at - www.nmsi.ac.uk/eclipse/eclipselab
>>
>>++++++
>>
>>ECLIPSELAB - SUPER COOL
>>
>>What happens when the Sun can't shine?
>>When we experience an eclipse we can see that the Moon has blocked the
>>Sun's light and we can feel that it has also blocked the Sun's heat. The
>>temperature rapidly drops as the Moon's shadow arrives and then reverts
>>back after the eclipse recedes. Using a wet and dry-bulb thermometer we can
>>measure this temperature drop around the country and find out how the
>>eclipse affects the atmosphere's humidity.
>>
>>Temperature and humidity vary all the time with the weather, so in order to
>>see what effect the eclipse has, it is important to take measurements on
>>some days before and after eclipse day, as well as on 11 August 1999
>>itself. Ideally, record the temperatures in your location over five days,
>>i.e. taking measurements from Monday 9th to Friday 13th August 1999. Even
>>if you are unable to make checks on each of these days, please do send us
>>what you have. All your research has real scientific value.
>>
>>More information is available at - www.nmsi.ac.uk/eclipse/eclipselab
>>
>>++++++
>>
>>ECLIPSELAB - SOLAR CORONA
>>
>>Here's what you do:
>>
>>While the Sun is only partly covered by the Moon, you will need to wear
>>solar viewers to protect your eyes. Use this time to sketch an outline of
>>the Sun's shape.
>>
>>When the Sun is totally eclipsed, you can remove your solar viewers. Look
>>carefully at the corona. This is a pale, glowing halo around the Sun. It is
>>the thin outer atmosphere of the Sun. As well as the solar corona, you may
>>also see prominences. A prominence is a mass of hot gas rising up from the
>>Sun's surface. These will require much more skill to sketch accurately.
>>
>>As the Sun begins to appear again from behind the Moon, turn away and start
>>to sketch what you saw. Don't forget to write on your picture the exact
>>times the solar corona appeared and disappeared.
>>
>>Don't miss the experience of a lifetime! Sit back and enjoy the show while
>>the eclipse is total. Once the Sun begins to re-emerge, start to sketch
>>what you saw.
>>
>>More information is available at - www.nmsi.ac.uk/eclipse/eclipselab
>>
>>++++++
>>
>>WILL ECLIPSES GO ON FOREVER?
>>
>>By chance the Sun and Moon are of similar apparent size as seen from the
>>Earth. Will this always be so?
>>
>>The Apollo astronauts set up retro-reflectors on the Moon. Using laser
>>ranging from Earth, we can measure the Earth-Moon distance and show that it
>>is moving away at about 3.8 cm per year due to Moon-induced tides in the
>>Earth. So the Moon's apparent size is getting smaller.
>>
>>However the Sun is evolving naturally, eventually to become a Red Giant.
>>It still has about 5 billion years to go before that happens but it is
>>expanding by about 6 cm per year. So the Sun is getting larger.
>>
>>The result of all this, and of slight orbital variations, is that in 250
>>million years the Sun and Moon will seem to be the same size. After that
>>there will only be Annular Eclipses, where a ring of the Sun is always
>>visible.
>>
>>Guillermo Gonzalez, June 1999, Astronomy and Geophysics, pages 3.18-3.20.
>>
>>++++++
>>
>>ECLIPSE '99 - CAPTURE IT ON FILM
>>
>> H J P Arnold, IoP Publishing. 0-7503-0619-X 5.95 gbp
>>
>>Size of image of Sun on film = focal length / 110.
>>
>>So 50 mm lens produces an image of 0.45 mm diameter - too small. Hence
>>you need a 300, 500 or 1000 mm lens. Perhaps it is better to project using
>>binoculars or a small telescope. Very successful for the partial phases.
>>
>>Always take two normal photographs at the start of the film to help the
>>processing laboratory cut your negatives in the right place!!
>>
>>For direct photography in the partial phases, buy an approved neutral
>>density 5 (factor of 100 000) and fit it in front of the camera lens. Note
>>that with an f/8 lens, neutral density 5 is so dense you can't see the
>>image in the viewfinder clearly enough to focus on it and the exposure time
>>is too long, 1/15th second at f/8 with 400 ASA film, to hold the camera
>>steady. In this case use an approved neutral density 4 filter (factor of
>>10 000).
>>
>>For the totality, remove the filter and with 400 ASA film, use 1/60th
>>second at f/8 for the inner corona and 1/8th for the outer corona. For the
>>diamond ring, try 1/250th, but be careful of your eyes.
>>
>>++++++
>>
>>STANFORD SOLAR VIEWER
>>
>>A hard plastic 160 x 60 mm. Robust and useful for sunspot viewing
>>afterwards!
>>Available from Science Line - UK on Lo-call +44 (0)345 600 444. About 5.00
>>gbp
>>ScienceNet: http://www.sciencenet.org.uk
>>
>>++++++
>>
>>ASE ECLIPSE ACTIVITY PACKS:
>>
>>Total Eclipse of the Sun: Activities for Primary Schools. 7.50 gbp inc p&p
>>Total Eclipse of the Sun: Activities for Secondary Schools. 7.50 gbp inc
>>p&p
>>
>>Association for Science Education
>>Booksales Department
>>College Lane
>>Hatfield, Herts
>>AL10 9AA
>>Tel: +44 (0)1707 283001 Fax: +44 (0)800 371856
>>
>>++++++
>>
>>UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON ECLIPSE VIDEO
>>
>>Excellent video lasting about 25 minutes. KS 2,3 and 4. 14.45 gbp inc p&p
>>(UK)
>>
>>UCL Images, 48 Riding House Street, London, W1P 7PL
>>Tel: +44 (0)171 504 9375 Fax: +44 (0)171 436 1738 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>
>>++++++
>>
>>GM COUNTERS LINKED TO COMPUTERS
>>
>>Available from Aware Electronics Corp. Will run on an old DOS machine. I
>>have been collecting background readings for six months and I think I can
>>see a daily (diurnal) variation of about one percent. Much extra work will
>>be needed to ensure that it is not an instrumental effect - temperature,
>>air flow, mains supply variations ...
>>
>>Several hundred dollars, but behaves as advertised (for many years in
>>Scientific American!!).
>>
>>Aware Electronics Corp.
>>PO Box 4299
>>Wilmington
>>DE 19807
>>USA
>>
>>Tel: 001 800 729 5397
>>Fax: 001 302 655 3800
>>http://www.aw-el.com/
>>
>>++++++
>>
>>UK WEB ADDRESSES:
>>
>>Eclipse 99 - Main UK Site:
>> http://www.eclipse.org.uk/
>>
>>Radio Propagation Experiments:
>>http://www.wdc.rl.ac.uk/ionosondes/eclipse/outline.html
>>
>>Eclipse Lab. Shadow Bands, Corona and Super Cool Experiments:
>> http://www.nmsi.ac.uk/eclipse/eclipselab
>>
>>++++++
>>
>>ECLIPSE POETRY AND PROSE
>>
>>>From the Web pages compiled by David Le Conte.
>>
>>+++
>>
>>"Here lie the bodies of Ho and Hi,
>>Whose fate, though sad, is risible;
>>Being slain because they could not spy
>>Th' eclipse which was invisible."
>>
>>Author unknown
>>Said to refer to the Chinese eclipse of 2136 BC or 2159 BC.
>>
>>+++
>>
>>"On that day, says the Lord God,
>>I will make the sun go down at noon
>>and darken the earth in broad daylight."
>>
>>Said to refer to the solar eclipse of 15 June 763 BC.
>>From: Amos, Chapter 8, verse 9 (Old Testament)
>>
>>+++
>>
>>"Zeus, the father of the
>>Olympic Gods, turned
>>mid-day into night, hiding the light
>>of the dazzling Sun;
>>and sore fear came upon men."
>>
>>Archilochus (c680-c640 BC), Greek poet
>>Refers to the total solar eclipse of 6 April 648 BC.
>>
>>+++
>>
>>"Duke Hsiang, 24th year, 7th month, day chia-tzu, the first day of the
>>Moon. The Sun was eclipsed and it was total."
>>
>>Refers to a total solar eclipse of 19 June 549 BC.
>>From: Ch'un-ch'iu, book IX (Chinese).
>>Quoted in Historical Eclipses and Earth's Rotation, by F Richard
>>Stephenson, Cambridge University Press, 1997, page 226.
>>
>>+++
>>
>>"And the moon in haste eclipsed her,
>>and the Sun in anger swore
>>He would curl his wick within him
>>and give light to you no more."
>>
>>Said to refer to a lunar eclipse of 425 BC, and an annular solar eclipse of
>>424 BC.
>>Aristophanese (Greek, c450-385 BC) Chorus of Clouds (423BC)
>>
>>+++
>>
>>"I will show portents in the sky and on earth,
>>blood and fire and columns of smoke;
>>the sun shall be turned into darkness
>>and the moon into blood
>>before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes."
>>
>>Joel, Chapter 2, verses 30, 31 (Old Testament).
>>
>>+++
>>
>>"High on her speculative tower
>>Stood Science waiting for the hour
>>When Sol was destined to endure
>>That darkening of his radiant face
>>Which Superstition strove to chase,
>>Erewhile, with rites impure."
>>
>>William Wordsworth The Eclipse of the Sun, 1820
>>
>>+++
>>
>>"They call it a great wonder
>>That the Sun would not
>>though the sky was cloudless
>>Shine warm upon the men."
>>
>>Sighvald, Icelandic poet.
>>Said to refer to a solar eclipse of AD 1030, during a battle near Trondheim
>>
>>++++++
>>
>>End of Message
>>
>
>Best wishes,
>
>Mary
>
>
>
