Total Solar Eclipse August, 21, 2017 A once in a lifetime viewing experience in Nebraska!

What is a solar eclipse? A solar eclipse occurs when the moon comes directly between the Sun and the Earth and casts a shadow on the Earth.

As the moon casts its shadow on the Earth, people in the right place will see the moon cover part of the sun. IF VERY LUCKY, the entire sun will be covered by the moon in the sky above them! Minden is in the “very lucky” UMBRA (or complete shadow) of the moon where the sun will be completely covered creating what is referred to as a TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE SUN!

Watch this video to see why this is such an important event in the United States!

More videos about the Eclipse! Fun Song!

Frequently asked questions! When will the eclipse begin and how long will it last? The moon will begin to cover sun beginning at approximately 11:33 a.m. We will watch the moon cover more of the sun until totality at 12:58 p.m. After about 30 seconds, it will begin to uncover again. The entire sun will be visible by about 2:30 p.m.

Here is what the sun will look like over time. 11:45 a.m. 12:58 p.m. 2:30 p.m. 1:08 p.m.

How long will the total eclipse occur in Minden? Minden is on the southern edge of the total eclipse viewing zone, therefore, our town will only experience about 30 seconds of a total eclipse. The farther you go north in the viewing zone, the longer you see the eclipse. At UNK, it will last around 1min 30 sec and in Ravenna the length will be around 2min 35 sec.

Is it safe to watch the eclipse? As long as you wear your special eclipse viewing glasses, your eyes are safe when looking at the sun! The rule is: IF YOU ARE LOOKING AT THE SUN, GLASSES ON! Once the sun disappears in your glasses, it is safe to look directly at the sun without the glasses. Remember, this will only be around 30 seconds in length!

Here is what a total solar eclipse will look like. Just about total! Glasses on! Total eclipse! Glasses off!

The moon’s shadow is moving off the sun, what should I do? Once the sun begins show again, LOOK AWAY FROM THE SUN and put your safety glasses back on before looking at the sun again!

ANOTHER THING TO DO AT THE END OF THE ECLIPSE!! BEFORE PUTTING YOUR GLASSES BACK ON, look around at the area around you! It’s like a 360o sunset or sunrise! It will be something you have never experienced before.

What is it going to look like outside as the sun is being covered by the moon? As the moon begins to cover the sun you will see a crescent (bite) being covered. This covered portion will get bigger and bigger as the moon gets closer to totality. Outside, the daylight will look much like it does all the time. You will only notice the shadow created if you look at the ground. As the moon completely covers the sun, it will be similar to dusk and then to darkness similar to around 10:00 p.m. IT ONLY GETS DARK WHEN THE ENTIRE MOON SHADOW COVERS AN AREA ON EARTH!

How have people of the past reacted to solar eclipses? People used to think that eclipses were explaining that bad things had occurred or would happen. Many stories were created to explain why the sun would disappear: The gods were angry, the sun god would go home to the underworld for a short time, the eclipse would bring death, destruction, and disasters to an area.

When will a total solar eclipse happen again in Nebraska? No one living right now will ever see another total solar eclipse in Nebraska in their lifetime! On April 8, 2024, we will experience another partial solar eclipse as it passes through Texas and travels up to Maine.

So what now? Let’s go watch the eclipse on August 21, 2017! Have fun, be safe, and enjoy this once in a lifetime experience with your classmates!