Eclipse (NExT)

Throughout history, the movement of the skies has been a source of fascination and an inspiration for both mythology and exploration.  Much folklore surround eclipses, when one celestial body passes through the shadow of another.  Often these have been interpreted as powerful portents or divine acts. In this class, we will explore the history of human understanding of eclipse events and trace the evolution of the science that led to the current view of the mechanics of the Earth-Moon-Sun system and the solar system as a whole. From this foundation we develop the means to predict and observe directly these events when they occur.  Finally we build pinhole cameras that allow participants to SAFELY observe the sun and its interactions with all that orbit in its gravitational pull. These classes are led by high-level, fun-loving, scientists who will also introduce and discuss exciting new research revealing the existence other earths, moons and suns similar to our own.