S1E75 - Andrew Fraknoi - Science - A Total View of the Total Eclipse

Astronomer Andrew Fraknoi joined us to dispense his usual passionate and illuminating clarity on the April 8 total solar eclipse and eclipses per se and more. He spoke of best places to view, optimal weather conditions, proper eyeglasses and what not to wear, as well as how to observe with a colander and why we cannot see a total solar eclipse from any other planet in our solar system. We were able to touch, too, on some eclipse myths and include sidebars about a bright sight twelve billion light years away, astrology and what may have been here before the big bang. Andrew spoke of Harvard Professor Avi Loeb's searches for extra terrestrial life and provided answers for educators on how best to deal with the total eclipse and prepare for and experience it, including why to use a snap device in photographing it and what to do if one is visually impaired. A truly fascinating hour with a bevy of good questions from listeners deftly answered by one of America's leading astronomers.

Biography

Andrew Fraknoi, who is sometimes called the “Bay Area’s Public Astronomer,” retired a few years ago as the chair of the astronomy department at Foothill College and still teaches short, noncredit courses on astronomy at the University of San Francisco and SF State.  He is the co-author of When the Sun Goes Dark, a book for children about eclipses, and the lead author of OpenStax Astronomy, a free online book that is now the most frequently-used, introductory astronomy textbook in the country. He appeared regularly on local and national radio, explaining astronomical developments in everyday language, and was named California Professor of the Year in 2007.  With several colleagues, he is leading the effort to distribute 6 million free eclipse glasses through 13,000 public libraries across the nation, with support from the Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation.  For more on his work, see his website.

Additional eclipse reading/resources:                                                                                                                                       

Booklet for Library Patrons on the Two Eclipses in 2023-24                                                                                                           

Booklet for teachers at all levels

Guide to Eclipses in the Humanities Films, Fiction, Art, Music

Conversation recorded on March 15, 2024.