Total Solar Eclipse
On Monday, April 8th, Ellis County will be one of the many counties in Texas affected by the solar eclipse. Around 1:30 pm CT, the moon will begin to block the sun, creating a total eclipse. While solar eclipses only happen two to four times a year, total eclipses happen once every three years. A total solar eclipse occurs when the sun, moon, and Earth align perfectly, casting a shadow on the Earth and revealing the sun's atmosphere. For more information on the total eclipse, check out some of the books at Paper Leaves.
Eclipse: One Sky’s Most Dazzling Phenomenon by Kelsey Oseid
In Eclipse , celebrated artist and author Kelsey Oseid explores the science and mystique of lunar and solar eclipses, from the myths of our ancestors to today. Did you know that in Chinese legends, solar eclipses were caused by dragons eating the sun? Or that the Norse people believed that a sky wolf chased away the moon? Oseid presents these rich historical stories alongside informative, accessible science to enrich your a solar eclipse only occurs during a new moon; a selenelion is when you can see the lunar eclipse in front of you and the sunset behind you; and the Mars Rovers have even taken photographs of eclipses from Mars.
Total Solar Eclipse: A Stellar Friendship Story by Jayme Sandberg
Sun is seriously out of sorts about the upcoming total solar eclipse. Will Earthlings go blind watching it? What will they think when Sun's dependable light suddenly vanishes in the middle of the day? How could Moon betray their stellar friendship? When totality finally arrives and Moon completely hides our brightest star from millions of Earthlings in its shadow, no one is more surprised than Sun to find Moon helped it shine in a totally different way.
Predicting the Eclipse: A Multimillennium Tale of Computation by Stephen Wolfram
Total eclipses of the Sun are rare and dramatic—and on April 8, 2024, one will cross the US. But when exactly will it happen? In this short but richly illustrated book, prominent scientist and computation pioneer Stephen Wolfram tells the triumphant and hard-won story--spanning more than two thousand years--of how science, mathematics and computation have brought us to the point where we can now predict the time of the eclipse to within one second. Learn how the problem of eclipses brought us some of the earliest exact science, the first known computer, contributions from many of the all-time greats of mathematics and physics, and critical technology for the space program. See how all this provides a clear, modern understanding of a phenomenon that has surprised and amazed throughout human history.
Eclipse: How the 1919 Solar Eclipse Proved Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity by Darcy Pattison
In 1915, British astronomer Arthur Stanley Eddington was fascinated with Einstein's new theory of general relativity. The theory talks about how forces push and pull objects in space. Einstein said that the sun's gravity could pull and bend light.
To test this, astronomers decided to photograph a solar eclipse. The eclipse would allow them to photograph the stars before and during the solar eclipse. If the star's position moved, then it was evidence that that light had bent. Eddington and his team traveled from England to the island of Principe, just off the African coast, to photograph the eclipse.
In simple language, this nonfiction illustrated picture book explains how the push (acceleration) and pull (gravity) of space affects light.
Back matter includes information on Einstein, Eddington, and the original photograph of the 1919 solar eclipse.
Totality: An Eclipse Guide in Rhyme and Science by Jeffrey Bennett
Tens of millions of people live in places that experience(d) the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024 – and hundreds of millions more will see other future eclipses around the world. There' s no better way to get ready for an eclipse and to learn about the underlying science than through this book and the related free app "Totality by Big Kid Science." Written by the astrophysicist/educator who created that app, Totality! An Eclipse Guide in Rhyme and Science features a unique combination of rhyme and science that makes it suitable for a wide range of ages, as well as parents, teachers, and librarians. The rhyme begins "Today's the day, it's final come / I'll see a diamond on the Sun," thereby engaging readers of all ages in imagining an eclipse experience. In addition, the rhyme has been pedagogically constructed to serve as a mnemonic device for the underlying science that is explained in detail with illustration and "Big Kid Box" sidebars. The book concludes with a glossary, suggested activities, and an eclipse science summary — features that will add particular value for parents and teachers learning along with their students or kids.
A Few Beautiful Minutes: Experiencing a Solar Eclipse by Kate Allen Fox
What happens during a solar eclipse? The sun vanishes. Light becomes dark. Day animals sleep, and night animals wake. The moon takes over the sky. People stop what they’re doing and together, they look up. The whole world changes for a few beautiful minutes.
Celebrating the magic of this favorite wonder of the universe, A Few Beautiful Minutes encourages young readers to (safely) discover each stage of a solar eclipse—and to experience how this incredible phenomenon can connect us to one another.
Written by Carlie Renee
