Hi there! Have you ever wondered why someone might wear funny-looking glasses that aren’t sunglasses? Well, these special glasses are called eclipse glasses, and they’re one of the few safe ways to look at the sun during a solar eclipse.
On Monday, August 21st, 2017, something amazing happened—a total solar eclipse! It started like any other day with the sun shining brightly. But then, in some parts of the United States, the sky began to darken, the air cooled down, and it felt like nighttime in the middle of the day. Birds sang their evening songs, and crickets chirped. You could even see stars! Isn’t that strange?
This was a big deal because such an event is very rare. The last time a solar eclipse like this happened across the U.S. was almost a hundred years ago. People were super excited because it’s not something you see every day!
Have you ever thought about why it gets dark during the day during a solar eclipse? Here’s the cool science behind it: The moon travels around the Earth, and sometimes it moves right in front of the sun. When this happens, the moon blocks the sun’s light, casting a shadow on Earth. This makes it look like nighttime during the day!
If you were an astronaut in space looking down at Earth during a solar eclipse, you’d see a big round shadow moving across the ground. That’s the moon’s shadow!
During the 2017 eclipse, people living along a special path in the United States could see the moon completely cover the sun. If you were in that path, you might have even seen fiery flames of hot gas shooting off the sun’s surface!
But don’t worry if you weren’t in that path. Most of the United States, Canada, and Mexico could still see the moon partly cover the sun. It looked like the moon was taking a bite out of the sun, which was also pretty cool!
It’s important to watch a solar eclipse safely. Eclipse glasses are one of the few ways to look directly at the sun without hurting your eyes. So whether you see a total eclipse or just a partial one, make sure to wear these special glasses.
If you’re curious to learn more about eclipses, you can visit a website that explains everything you need to know, like where to get glasses and what time to watch. Just go to mysteryscience.com/eclipse.
Thanks for exploring the wonders of a solar eclipse with me! There are so many mysteries in the world, and it’s always fun to learn something new. Keep asking questions and stay curious. Who knows what amazing things you’ll discover next!
Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Hi, it’s Doug! I know what you’re thinking: what is this guy wearing? What are those, some kind of sunglasses? But by the end of this video, you’re going to want a pair. These are not sunglasses; these are special glasses. It’s one of the only ways that makes it safe to look at the sun. They’re called eclipse glasses.
Now, if you haven’t heard, there’s going to be a total eclipse of the sun on Monday, August 21st. So why am I wearing these glasses now? Well, I heard that someone named Noah has a question for us about the eclipse. Let’s give her a call.
Hi, Doug! Hi, Noah. I was wondering, I heard about this solar eclipse that’s going to happen. Why are people making such a big deal about it?
That’s a great question! It is a big deal. On Monday, August 21st, 2017, at first, it’ll seem just like any day. You know, the sun will come up, and it’ll be light out that day. But then, in some parts of the U.S., it will start to become dark. The air will get cool, birds will start singing their evening songs, and crickets will start chirping. It will get so dark you’ll be able to see stars in the middle of the day. It’s like there’s going to be a few minutes of nighttime during daytime. It’s going to be strange!
Now think about it: when have you ever seen this happen? That’s why people are getting so excited. This is going to be so rare. The last time it happened across the U.S. like this was nearly a hundred years ago. Personally, I’ve been so excited about this day since I was in grade school when I got my first astronomy book, and it had a list of all the eclipses that will happen in the United States. I remember all the way back in the 1980s seeing this date written in the book: August 21st, 2017. To me then, that was the distant future, but that day is now coming.
Now wait a second, why does this happen? Why will it get so dark in the middle of the day? Before I say anything else, I want you to stop and think about it. What do you think? Now would be a good time to pause the video so that you can think and discuss this with someone near you.
Okay, are you ready? Why will it get so dark in the middle of the day? Well, you might know that the moon travels around the Earth, and maybe you thought or have heard that if the moon were to go in front of the sun, it would block out the sun’s light. If it covers the sun completely, it might make it seem like nighttime in the middle of the day. Well, that’s what happens during a solar eclipse. That’s the moon right there covering the sun. In fact, when the moon goes in front of the sun, it’s casting a shadow on the Earth. So, in other words, if you were an astronaut looking down on the Earth from space while a solar eclipse is happening, you’d see this big round shadow on the ground. This is a real photo taken by an astronaut during an eclipse.
Now, for this eclipse in August 2017, you’ll only see the moon completely cover the sun if you live along this pathway in the United States. If there’s any way you can get to this path, try to do it. Not only will it look like nighttime in the middle of the day, but when the moon covers the sun completely, you might even get to see flames of hot gas shooting off the sun’s surface.
Now, if you can’t get to this path in time, there’s still some good news. For most of the United States and parts of Canada and Mexico, even if you’re not in the path, you’ll still get to see the moon partly in front of the sun. It won’t get as dark as nighttime, but it will look like the moon is taking a bite out of the sun, which is also rare, so definitely check it out!
I hope you’ll try to watch the eclipse. Special eclipse glasses are one of the few ways that make it safe to look directly at the sun. So whether you’re in the path of the total eclipse or you’re just going to see the moon partly block the sun, you should try to get a pair of these glasses either way. I’ve helped put together a website that explains everything you need to know: where to get glasses, what time to look, and even something quick you can make if you can’t get eclipse glasses. Just go to mysteryscience.com/eclipse.
That’s all for this week’s question. Thanks, Noah, for asking it! Now for the next episode, I reached into my question jar and found three questions submitted to me that I’m thinking about answering. When this video is done playing, you’ll get to vote on one. You can choose from: how did donuts get their name? Why do leaves change color in the fall? Or how dangerous is it to look at the sun? So submit your vote when the video is over. I want to hear from all of you watching, and I hope you have a great time watching the eclipse. There are mysteries all around us. Stay curious, and see you next week! Vote now by clicking in the description below. Next week, Mystery Doug will answer the most popular question.
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This version removes any informal language and typos while maintaining the original message and context.
