Introduction.- Introducing the Sun.- Equipment for observing the Sun.- What we can see on the Sun.- Solar Drawings and Position Measurements.- Measuring Solar Activity.- Observing the Sun in Hydrogen-Alpha.- Solar Photography Part 1: Photography with Film.- Solar Photography Part 2: Digital Techniques.- Appendices.- Index.

This chapter provides you with a general overview of the path of the Moon’s shadow across the U.S. during the eclipse. While eclipse predictions are exact, I didn’t want to go crazy with decimal points or fractions. So, I have rounded off the times to the nearest second. Trust me, it won’t make a bit of difference.

This chapter applies to all people who will be traveling to see the eclipse, but especially those who will not be part of an organized travel group. You may observe the eclipse alone, with friends or family, or at a public event like the one at Rosecrans Memorial Airport in St. Joseph, Missouri. I thought it would be good to provide a checklist of both common and unusual items that I think readers should bring to the eclipse. Such an inventory could get out of hand quickly, so I limited it to 25 entries.

So that we’re all speaking the same language about solar eclipses, this chapter will provide a brief list of the most popular terms you’ll encounter, many of them with illustrations. You should get familiar with them because you will see them again.

At the American Astronomical Society’s August 2015 workshop concerning the total solar eclipse that will sweep the U.S. in 2017, psychologist and eclipse consultant Kate Russo announced that she had produced a white paper to help communities along the path of totality prepare for the event and that she was making it available to anyone for distribution free of charge. I found it compelling and well organized, so I reproduce it here with her permission. You also will find it in the “Blogs” section at www.fpsci.com . I ask Kate’s and your indulgence if I have introduced any errors due to my minor edits.

Some amateur astronomers consider binoculars an optional accessory, but most regard them as a necessity. Indeed, binoculars are the first thing that a beginning amateur should purchase to view the sky. If your interest in astronomy continues, then upgrade to a telescope. Most of the advanced observers I know own several binoculars. And nothing is better for enhancing your view of totality.

Cool things are afoot before and after totality. Although the big payoff is the exact lineup of the Sun, the Moon, and each reader’s location, they should keep their eyes open during the partial phases that lead up to the eclipse and especially those that follow it. The reason I emphasize the latter half of the eclipse is that before totality, people (yes, me included) are usually so amped up that it’s hard to concentrate on what’s going on. This chapter will outline everything to watch between first and second contacts and between third and fourth contacts.

Let’s say you want to view the Sun, but you don’t have an approved solar filter for your telescope. Maybe you don’t even have a telescope. No problem. Somewhere at home you must have a cardboard box. That and a few common supplies will let you build a pinhole viewer that you can observe the Sun with. While I admit that the image you’ll see won’t rival that through a properly filtered telescope, it will be the Sun, and you can watch it as long as you want without any safety concerns. Plus, building this viewer is essentially free.

Eclipses have occurred throughout human history, creating awe and fear whenever people observed them. They still create awe, if not fear. It’s fun to read about past eclipses, so I’ve collected accounts of some recorded by a number of chroniclers who were not astronomers, although some had interest in what was happening in the sky. Today, “historical” eclipses refer to those before the invention of the telescope in 1608. Every eclipse after that date, then, must be a “modern” one, at least in the astronomical sense.

The purpose of this chapter is to answer some of the most important questions for both the general public and the media. Yes, the eclipse is a year away, but it’s never too early for knowledge, right? Plus, these are the facts, and they won’t change.

This section will be pretty complicated, but is included because some of you may wish to delve more deeply into eclipse relationships. Remember the Saros cycle mentioned previously?

January.- February.- March.- April.- May.- June.- July.- August.- September.- October.- November.- December.