Enlightening Activities for the Eclipse
This world is full of wonders! Next Saturday, October 14th, your family will have an opportunity to experience one of them: an annular solar eclipse.
An annular solar eclipse occurs when the moon is slightly farther away from Earth than usual so it can’t block out the whole sun, creating a ring of fire effect within the “path of annularity.” The path for this eclipse is just north of us, so while Albuquerque is going to experience a pretty awesome five minutes, here in Scottsdale we will have a partial solar eclipse. It will be visible between 8:10 am and 11:01 am, but for maximum coolness, head outside at 9:31. And remember not to look directly at the sun!
If you want to read more about what’s going on in the sky, check out the articles about it on space.com and timeanddate.com.
But what can you do with your family other than look at it (again, please don’t look directly at it)? You can make your own sundial! It’s easier than you’d think – find a flat piece of unshaded ground and a stick. The stick will be your sundial’s “gnomon.” Affix it to the ground and tilt it slightly North because we’re in the Northern Hemisphere. A person can also be the gnomon, but they’ll need to stand in the exact same spot every time you use your sundial. Go outside early in the morning (think 7 am) and mark the position of the gnomon’s shadow with a rock, chalk, or other marker. You can add the number of the hour if you’d like. Repeat every hour on the hour until the sun goes down. This is a great activity for a day when you don’t have much to do but hang around the house, but you can also divide it over a few days. If you’d like to learn more about making sundials and how they work, watch this short video.
While you’re waiting for the next hour to roll around, you can make sun prints! This is another simple, easy activity that is accessible to even very young kids. Grab a piece of dark-colored construction paper (the cheaper the better – you don’t want it to be fade-proof). Gather some interesting-looking leaves, blossoms, or other flat objects and arrange them on your paper however you’d like. Cover your piece with saran wrap, plexiglass, or the glass from a picture frame to keep everything in place, and leave it in the sun for a few hours. Then remove your objects and reveal the art you’ve made using the power of sunlight! There are more detailed instructions available here.
There are some beautiful scripture passages about the sun, moon, and stars, from the book of Genesis to the story of the Magi. Next week, take advantage of the opportunity to connect with the wonder of God’s creation by looking down into your Bible and up into the sky. And share your creations with us, either in person or on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
