| THE COLONY NEWS | OCTOBER 2023 | 19 | THE COLONY NEWS | OCTOBER 2023 | 19
In Memoriam
Nicolasa Marple
By Mike Vergara, 951-473-5806
Want to see an eclipse? You're in luck this month! Before I
get to the details, please please please do not look directly at
the sun. Use eclipse glasses, or a shadow projection device,
or some other safe method. The American Astronomical
Society has suggestions for safe viewing at https://eclipse.
aas.org/eye-safety.
On Saturday, Oct. 14, we in Murrieta will experience a partial
solar eclipse. The moon will first start to cover the sun at
8:08 am. By 9:25 am, approximately 75 percent of the sun will
be obscured by the moon. This is the moment of maximum
coverage here in The Colony. By 10:52 am, it will be over. This
eclipse is not a total eclipse, but instead is an annular eclipse.
That means that when the moon is completely over the sun,
it is not completely covered. There is a ring – an annulus – of
the sun that still shines all around the moon. These types of
eclipses are sometimes called a "ring of fire" eclipse, for this very reason. This is why it is not safe to look
directly at this type of eclipse; the sun is not covered and can damage your eyes.
If you're up for a road trip, you can drive to the path of totality, which is where you can observe the
ring of fire directly (but safely!). The closest place to us in Murrieta is in south-central Utah. I've been
invited to attend with some friends in Roswell, NM, which will also experience totality. There is a wealth
of additional information about this eclipse available at https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/eclipses/2023/
oct-14-annular/overview/.
As of this writing, the San Diego Astronomy Association is working on an event at the Reuben H. Fleet
Science Center in Balboa Park. There are some bureaucratic steps to be taken before it's approved, so
check their web site at https://sdaa.org/sdaa-public-events-calendar/ before you drive down.
To find where the planets and constellations are, visit http://skymaps.com/index.html. From there,
you can print your own map of the sky for the month. Clear skies!
the Night sky the Night sky
