Star Points for August, 1999; by Curtis Roelle Sunrise To Take Bite Out of Sun The big astronomy news for August is the annual Perseid meteor shower and an eclipse of the Sun. Since it occurs first, let's discuss the eclipse and its prospects for Maryland. You should read the entire description to get the full picture and so you don't miss important safety information! Portions of Europe, Asia Minor, and southern Asia will along the path of a total solar eclipse on Wednesday, August 11. The Moon's shadow first touches land on the southern coast of Great Britain and from there speeds across northern France, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Romania, Bulgaria, the Black Sea, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, and India. Although they are not located on the central path certain major cities will see a very deep partial eclipse. According to Sky & Telescope magazine's August issue London will see 97% of the Sun's diameter blocked by the Moon. Paris is treated to a 99% eclipse. According to NASA's "Fifty Year Canon of Solar Eclipses: 1986-2035" the Moon's shadow will first touch the Earth at 5:30 a.m. EDT in the Atlantic Ocean about 180 miles of Nova Scotia. I did some rough calculations to estimate the eclipse circumstances for Westminster, Maryland. Maximum eclipse occurs at 5:34 a.m. with the Moon covering 97% of the solar diameter -- the same percentage that London will enjoy! Yet, there is a catch: The lunar shadow will be blocked from reaching us in Maryland. Why? Because we will still be in the shadow of the Earth. In other words, the Sun will not yet have risen so we see nothing until later. However, if a miracle occurred and the Earth could become transparent so that we can look sun-ward we would see that only a narrow sliver of its northern edge is visible. The rest of the Sun is blocked by the interloper Moon. Indeed, according to Sky & Telescope if it weren't for the Earth being in the way Ocean City would be enjoying a total solar eclipse at 5:32 a.m.! Now let us be realistic. The Earth is not transparent and totality will not be visible from Maryland or from anywhere in North America. We're not left empty handed because there is a consolation prize. We get to see the tail end of a partial eclipse at sunrise. When the Sun rises in Westminster at 6:16 a.m. on August 11, it will appear to be different than usual. The Moon will be covering up 23% of the Sun making it look like a bright sugar cookie with a bite missing from its lower edge. Ten minutes later at 6:26 the partial eclipse has ended in Westminster and the Sun is once again whole. Meanwhile, eclipse viewers will be enjoying a total eclipse along the France-Belgium-Luxembourg border. Let us talk now about personal safety. Visual observation of the Sun can be dangerous if done improperly. When observed near the horizon, the Sun is viewed through a thicker amount of atmosphere than when it is high overhead. This will block some of the visible light but there is still a danger. Brief cautious naked eye glances of one second or less are one thing, but proper protection is necessary for prolonged viewing with the naked eye. A popular and relatively inexpensive solution is to use #14 welder's glass, available at welding supply stores. Make sure that it is #14 because thinner densities may let through radiation harmful to the eye. Just hold it up to your eyes and peer through it at the Sun which will appear greenish. Eye protection when viewing through binoculars or a telescope is trickier but a number of filter products are available. For a complete review of protective solar filters see p. 63 of the July issue of Sky & Telescope magazine, available at the public library, or read the on-line version of the review article at . Just remember to use the proper filter recommended for your instrument and that the filter goes between the telescope and the Sun, not between the eyepiece and your eye! The last partial eclipse visible from Maryland was on February 26, 1998. The next will be Christmas day, 2000. In other news this month is the annual Perseid meteor shower predicted to reach its peak before twilight on the mornings of Thursday, August 12 and Friday the 13th. The Westminster Astronomical Society and the Carroll County Parks will be hosting a planetarium program and meteor watch at Bear Branch Nature Center on Thursday evening August 12th. The meteor observing begins after dark at about 9:00 p.m. It is free and open to the public. The later you stay the better your chances of seeing some fine meteors. Shows that night in the Bear Branch planetarium are scheduled for 7:30 and 8:30 p.m. but registration is required. For registration information call the nature center at 410-848-2517. For directions consult the planetarium web site at http://www.erols.com/roelle/was/bearbranch.html.