- Ambient light will dim until it is like the night sky with a full moon
- People will be able to see stars and planets. Jupiter will be to the left of where the sun is and Venus will be to the right. The star Regulas will be above and to the left of the sun.
- The corona, an aura of plasma, will surround the sun.
AUBURN – Eugene Lanning of Arbor Astronomy Group told an audience of 70 people Thursday at the Auburn Public Library that preparation can protect their eyesight and enhance their enjoyment of the total solar eclipse on Aug. 21.
Lanning offered a description of the eclipse and the 70-mile shadow of the moon that will cross Nebraska at 2,500 mph. The longest period for the total eclipse at any location is 2 minutes and 40 seconds, but Auburn will have totality of 2 minutes and eight seconds.
Do Not Go Blind!
Viewers must wear proper eye protection until totality and must not look at the sun as its rays return.
Lanning noted that the moon has mountain ridges on it, so some of the sun’s rays may pour through mountain valleys in an affect called bally beads. These rays should not be looked at with the unprotected eye. If people can see a sliver of the sun around the moon, they should keep their glasses on.
Even with protective glasses on, people should not look at the sun through cameras, binoculars or other optical devices.
Lanning said people are naturally tempted to look when the moon is blocking out the view of the sun and the sky is dimming. He said people must resist this temptation and children must be supervised.
When the light is dim, a person may feel okay while looking at the sun. The retina of the eye has no pain receptors, so the person feels okay. Even during the drive home, they may not notice any problems. However, by morning, a sunburned retina will result in vision blurring.
He said a victim will see a smudge in the morning mirror and, when they pick up the morning newspaper, they will see all of the white, but none of the black.
He said eyesight may sometimes improve, but is considered permanent in about 50 percent of the cases.
When is totality?
Lanning said people, who coordinate their clocks with published onset times, should keep glasses on for a few more seconds to make sure totality has been achieved.
He has downloaded the app “Solar Eclipse Timer” on his phone. It will give an audible countdown for the longitude and latitude he supplies.
What will you see?