Rangers in Grand Canyon National Park use pair of filtered binoculars during an annular eclipse viewing in 2012. That’s because during a total eclipse, the distances between the moon, sun, and earth allows the moon to completely cover the sun during an annular eclipse, it does not. Unlike the annular 1994 eclipse, where a ring of the sun appears around the edge of the moon, the total eclipse in 2017 completely blocked the sun’s light in the path of totality (near Carbondale, Illinois, in our region). Louis during the annular solar eclipse that passed over the United States in 1994, and witnessed this phenomenon while working at the botanical garden there. Boyce Tankersley, the Garden’s director of living plant documentation, was in St. Instead of the one shadow that a standard pinhole projector creates, you can view hundreds by standing under a decently sized oak or maple.Īnother cool effect created by the eclipse is shadows that look sharper and appear to move (albeit very slowly) as the eclipse goes on. If you want a more patriotic experience, NASA has 2D/3D printable pinhole projectors in the shape of the United States and each state.įind a shady spot and watch as the eclipse shadows change over the course of the event. Other ideas: Use everyday objects that already have holes-like colanders or crackers, for example-or by punching a hole in a piece of cardboard or other sturdy material. Viewing with children? Use what you’ve got to make your own shadow art: tiny hands are perfect. Look down and you’ll see mini eclipses projected through the spaces between your fingers. Stretch out and overlap your fingers to create a grid. The easiest pinhole projector you can make is with your hands. Via Rice Space Institute, a fun way to commemorate an eclipse: make a pinhole sign and photograph its shadow. You’ll see a crescent-shaped shadow that changes as the eclipse progresses. Leaves often have holes that can act as natural projectors.ĭuring the eclipse, turn your back to the sun and hold the leaf above a neutral-colored background, ideally several feet or more away. A fun way to indirectly “see” the eclipse is with a pinhole projector, and one of the best natural projectors is a leaf. Rule number one with eclipses-and with the sun every day, actually-is don’t look directly at it with the naked eye. This was the closest the Chicago area has been to a total solar eclipse in 92 years.ġ. In the Chicago area, we experienced roughly 86 percent coverage around 1:19 p.m.
![how to see the eclipse 2017 in chicago suburbs how to see the eclipse 2017 in chicago suburbs](https://imageio.forbes.com/specials-images/imageserve/836335286/0x0.jpg)
The path of totality-meaning the area of the United States that saw the sun completely blocked by the moon-passes across southern Illinois.
![how to see the eclipse 2017 in chicago suburbs how to see the eclipse 2017 in chicago suburbs](https://images.indianexpress.com/2017/08/solar.jpg)
On Monday, August 21, 2017, people across the United States witnessed a rare event: the first total solar eclipse to cross over the country from coast to coast in nearly a century.
#How to see the eclipse 2017 in chicago suburbs how to#
We love nature here at the Chicago Botanic Garden, so we looked to the natural world for inspiration on how to enjoy the eclipse- here at the Garden, or in your own backyard.