Saturday: Astronomer To Give Free Lecture In Milpitas On Complete Solar Eclipse

MILPITAS, CA — For the first time in 38 years, a total solar eclipse will be visible in the continental United States. It will take place on Monday, August 21, 2017. The total eclipse will only be visable from the United States, and will be seen along a 60 mile wide path from Oregon and continuing to the southeast, ending in South Carolina.

Santa Clara County residents will experience a 60% darkening of the sun.

In preparation for the solar eclipse, the general public is invited to learn more about eclipses, what they are, how to safely view them and why the August 2017 eclipse is so special. Dr. Andrew Fraknoi, astronomy professor at Foothill College, will lead the discussion followed by a question and answer period.

It will take place at the Milpitas Public Library on Saturday, August 12, at 2 p.m.

About Dr. Andrew Fraknoi

Dr. Andrew Fraknoi, chair of the astronomy department at Foothill College, and co-author of “When the Sun Goes Dark,“ a new children’s book on solar eclipses, is the featured speaker. A member of the 2017 Eclipse Task Force of the American Astronomical Society, Fraknoi is dedicated to training teachers and librarians in the fundamentals of a solar eclipse so they can then act as guides to those around them as the August eclipse approaches. Explaining astronomical developments in everyday language, Fraknoi has been interviewed by a variety of media outlets including NPR and KQED’s public radio “Forum” with Michael Krasny.

In 2007, Fraknoi was named California Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. In honor of his contributions to the promotion of public understanding of science, the International Astronomical Union renamed Asteroid 4859 as “Asteroid Fraknoi.” Additional honors include the 2007 Richard H. Emmons award from the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, the Andrew Gemant Award from the American Institute of Physics, and the 1994 Annenberg Foundation Award from the American Astronomical Society. In 2013, Fraknoi was elected to the Board of Trustees of the Friends of the Lick Observatory.

Copies of “When the Sun Goes Dark” by Dr. Fraknoi will be available for purchase and signing following the lecture.

ABOUT THE BOOK: “When the Sun Goes Dark,” co-authored by Dr. Andrew Fraknoi and Dennis Schatz, provides children and adults an easy way to understand a total solar eclipse, how it happens, and how to view one safely. The book gives hands-on learning techniques to better understand the science behind eclipses of the sun and moon.

-Image via Foothill College