Scientific Colloquium
May 17, 2023, 3:00 P.M.
Building 3, Goett Auditorium
FRED
ESPENAK
GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT
CENTER
"The Great North American
Total Eclipse of 2024"
On April 8, 2024, a total
eclipse of the Sun will be visible from North America for the
first time since 2017. The track of the Moon's shadow will cross
Mexico, the central and northeastern United States, and eastern
Canada. Compared to 2017, the path of totality is 70% wider, and
the duration is nearly twice as long (4.5 minutes). With
portions of 15 states and 6 Canadian provinces in the path, the
2024 eclipse promises to be the most widely viewed eclipse of
all time. A preview of this highly anticipated event will
feature maps, photos and weather prospects along the eclipse
path based on the speaker's recent book on the subject. Espenak
will also share some of his eclipse experiences with us through
photos and video.
About the Speaker:
Fred Espenak is a retired astrophysicist from the Planetary
Systems Laboratory of the Solar Systems Exploration Division at
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. His work at Goddard involved
infrared spectrometers and the development of radiative transfer
models to probe the atmospheres of the planets.
In parallel to this work, he also created the NASA Eclipse Web
Site where he posted predictions on every solar and lunar
eclipse from 2000 BCE to 3000 CE. He published more than a dozen
NASA reference publications, each one focusing on a specific
upcoming eclipse.
First captivated by a total eclipse in 1970, he has participated
in 30 total eclipse expeditions taking him to every continent.
During this time he has perfected high dynamic range imaging
techniques to capture both the fine structure detail and the
beauty of the solar corona. One of these images was featured on
a U.S. postage stamp to commemorate the 2017 total eclipse.
Known popularly as "Mr. Eclipse", he was honored by the IAU in
2003 when asteroid 14120 was named "Espenak."
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