All-American Solar Eclipse of 2017 - Prof. Alex Filippenko

A total solar eclipse, when the Moon fully covers the bright disk of the Sun and reveals the breathtaking solar corona, is one of nature’s most magnificent spectacles; it's truly an awe-inspiring experience that moves some people to tears. On August 21, 2017, for the first time in 38 years, the very narrow path of a total solar eclipse falls on the continental United States. Come learn about total solar eclipses and how to view this one!

Speaker Alex Filippenko is one of the world's most highly cited astronomers, and was voted UC Berkeley's "Best Professor" a record nine times. He appears frequently on TV documentaries and is addicted to observing total solar eclipses throughout the globe, having seen 15 so far!

Alex writes: In my introductory comments, I meant to say that Randy
Schekman won the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine, not Biology.

[MGR]

Professor Filippenko's course on astronomy at the Great Courses is phenomenal!

[JonathanMBardsley]

Why is there not a big difference from the beginning of the day to the middle of the day in the time of totality through the curvature

[CatsOnTV]

Thank You Professor Filippenko,  I gained so much information from Your video on A solar eclipse.  The University of YouTube is amazing.!  I have a quick question. Would going to a higher elevation change the eclipse in 2017?  I live in Lake Tahoe, on the Sierra Crest,  at  7, 300ft., but I could climb to 10, 000 ft.. Would there be a noticeable difference between  7000 and 10, 000 feet in elevation. .

[JonathanMBardsley]

I like how he brings up the vanishing point but does he realizes that no matter on how big something is it can not be seen beyond the vanishing point, now critically thinking that should tell you being able to see light-years away is crazy talk. Ask Alexa to 1 million and it will show you a rough idea on what 1 million miles looks like. To be able to see just 1 light year away is crazy talk. From viewpoint to horizon how many diameters of the sun would you be able to see because times that with the diameter of the sun and it's nowhere near 1% of a light-year? Let's say there are 3 diameters of the sun in15 degree and there are six 15 degrees to horizon line so that's 18 sun diameters so times 18 with the size they say the sun is and that will be the distance to the vanishing point and nothing can be seen beyond that distance. I don't think I'm explaining what I am seeing in my head to explain the distance to the vanishing point in any direction because I'm seeing nowhere near a fraction of a light-year

[danielaskew]

I take it he never explains why the eclipse will move from west to east