7 tips and ideas to make the eclipse attractive to students

This article originally appeared on Vernier's blog and is republished here with permission.

On April 8, 2024, a Total solar eclipse It will be visible over the United States, beginning in Texas. This upcoming eclipse event is an exciting opportunity to incorporate phenomenon-based learning into your instruction and engage your students through inquiry.

Here are some tips to make the most of this rare occasion while studying it with your students.

1. Never look directly at the sun, except if you are in the path of totality during the few minutes of totality.

Look at the sun only through special filters or glasses designed specifically for that purpose. Do not use welding glasses or any other type of dark glasses unless they are specifically made for looking at the sun.

See a total eclipse with glasses
Wear the glasses to look at the sun just before the total eclipse, remove them briefly during totality, and then put the glasses back on. Totality will last up to four minutes, but the duration will vary by location. The brightness of the sky will dim to a point where planets could begin to become visible. When totality ends, you'll see what's called the Diamond Ring (the first rays of sunlight sneaking past the moon). This indicates that it is time to put on your eclipse glasses again.

See a partial solar eclipse with glasses
Much of the United States will have partial eclipses during this event. If you are in a region with a partial eclipse, be sure to never look at the sun without eclipse glasses.

Watch an eclipse with a solar projector
Another way to observe the eclipse safely is to make a solar projector or pinhole camera. These systems project the image of the sun onto a white screen and you can safely look at it as much as you want. There are many great plans on how to set this up on the internet. Learn how to make a pinhole camera here.

Learn more about NASA eye safety here.

2. Be prepared

If you are in the region of totality, the day of the eclipse will be a day you will never forget. Plan ahead to ensure you have enough time to get to the location you have selected. There will be many people traveling to the area of ​​totality and there may be major traffic jams.

If you want to appear knowledgeable about the eclipse, familiarize yourself with these terms:

• First contact
• Second contact
• Third contact
• Four Contact
• Sunspots
• Crown
• Prominences
• Bailey Beads
• shadow bands
• Diamond ring

It takes at least an hour from First Contact, when the moon begins to obscure the sun, to totality (or the peak of the partial eclipse, if you are not in the zone of totality). You will then have the same amount of time after the eclipse until the sun is completely unblocked.

There are many opportunities to investigate this phenomenon: changes in temperature as the eclipse progresses, variations in wind speed as totality approaches, changes in sky color as totality approaches, changes in the behavior of animals and more. You and your students will be very excited during the entirety and the moment just before. It's easy to make mistakes in that situation, so practice taking data in a “test run” before the day of the eclipse.

3. Study the light level

As the Moon gradually blocks more and more of the Sun, one would surely expect to see an associated change in light level. Is there a direct relationship between the reading and the fraction of the sun that is visible?

Compare the light levels before and after the total eclipse. The above data was collected in Oregon during the 2017 total eclipse. The eclipse was total at 10:18 am (PDT) and the sun continued to rise throughout the eclipse. The angle of the sun was 41 degrees at totality and greater after totality. Levels were higher after the eclipse, especially UV levels because there is less atmosphere to dissipate the sun's UV rays as the sun's angle increases.

4. Investigate the emission spectra.

It is often heard that the sky becomes bluer as totality approaches during an eclipse. It is really true? Use the Go straight to SpectroVis^® Plus Spectrometer with the Vernier Spectrophotometer Fiber Optic to collect an emission spectrum every few minutes as the eclipse progresses and compare it.

On a (rare) sunny March day in Oregon, we captured an emission spectrum to demonstrate how to collect emission spectra during an eclipse. The data was collected by pointing the optical fiber at a piece of white paper on the ground. By varying the distance from the paper to the optical fiber, the intensity of the spectrum can be varied.

Sample data collected with the Go Direct SpectroVis Plus spectrophotometer

When collecting data with the Go Direct SpectroVis Plus spectrophotometer, the sample time was changed to 15 ms from the default 50 ms to avoid maximizing the reading at some wavelengths. To do this, choose Configure Sensors from the Experiment menu. Choose the spectrophotometer and then change the sample time.

The emission spectrum you see plotted is not a calibrated emission spectrum. That is, because the intensity at wavelength A is twice the intensity at wavelength B, we cannot say that the energy delivered at wavelength A is twice that delivered at wavelength A. wave B. Intensity is actually a combination of how much light there is at that wavelength. and how sensitive the detector is to that wavelength. If you always use the same instrument, you can compare the relative intensities at different wavelengths. For example, the widely reported phenomenon that the sky becomes bluer as the eclipse approaches totality should appear in these spectra. The relative height of the blue intensities should increase compared to the red wavelength intensities.

5. Examine temperature changes.

Since in this case we are interested in air temperature, a sensor that responds quickly to changes in air temperature would be best. He Go to direct surface temperature sensor either Surface temperature sensor will work best for this application.

The above data was collected during the 2017 total eclipse in Oregon.

6. Compare the wind speed.

During a total eclipse, temperature changes often occur and there may also be changes in wind speed. Use the Go to direct weather system measure wind speed in a single direction. Mount the sensor on a tripod (not included) and orient it so that it points into the wind.

7. Take pictures

First, make sure never look through a camera directly at the sun. Don't even point your camera at the sun without a solar filter. You could damage your eyes.

• Be sure to bring a tripod to stabilize and mount your camera.
• Except during the brief period of totality, only photograph the sun through a filter designed specifically for that purpose.
• During totality, do not use a filter.
• Use a long focal length lens.
• Consider taking photos or even a video of the excited people around you during the eclipse.

The tremendous variation in light levels before and during the eclipse can make photography challenging, so don't forget to enjoy the experience. There will be many great photographs available after the event taken by professional photographers. You may want to focus on capturing photos or videos of the excited people around you during the eclipse.

Share your data and photographs with us!

We recommend that you collect data and send it to us. It will be interesting to compare data taken by different groups of students/teachers in different regions of the country. You can also post data and results on social media with the hashtag #VernierEclipse

Are you ready for the 2024 total solar eclipse? Explore Vernier Eclipse Resources.

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