Well if any of you plan on being out west for the eclipse, let me know as we are in the path of totality. Our neighborhood’s planning on putting together a little gig, in as much giggin’ as one can do at 9/10am.
Something about this eclipse has been nagging at me. Am I on to something? Am I missing something altogether? I don’t know… But I want to share my observation and finding.
To start with, I decided to do some research as I recalled hearing in February 1979, the last time western Oregon was in the path of totality for an eclipse, that this was a once in a lifetime event for our area. I was living in the suburbs of Portland, Oregon and can remember watching the sky grow dark for a few minutes as we watched the event on television inside my classroom.
Hmm.
I wanted to know how often the path of totality can occur in the same location for a total solar eclipse. Here’s what I found: “More recently, Jean Meeus of Belgium, whose special interest is spherical and mathematical astronomy, recalculated this figure statistically on an HP-85 microcomputer and found that the mean frequency for a total eclipse of the sun for any given point on the Earth’s surface is once in 375 years. A value that is very close to the figure that Russell, Dugan and Stewart arrived at.” (fmi here is the link to read the rest of the article)
Go to this link here to see the path of totality for the 1979 total solar eclipse. Zoom out and you will clearly see the cities in western oregon that were in that path. Salem is included.
Here is a link showing the path of totality for the upcoming eclipse in August. Salem (and other nearby towns) are in the path of totality again.
What the….??
I thought the mean frequency for a total eclipse for any place on earth is only once every 375 years.
Am I missing something??
Comments please!
Sun simulator & solar eclipse equals fake!
We know this is not our real sun. Who knows if this eclipse thing is real too…should be interesting Sister!
trying to stir up conversation about this – so far no takers. gggrrrr