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Hey, Wowzer fans, Mindy here.
And before we start the show, I got to let you know that this November, with a special new episode featuring our friends at Circle Round and Terrestrials on Radiolab for Kids,
And don't miss when Elmo from Sesame Street stops by Wow in the World to make us all belly laugh on November 24th.
Oh, but that's not all, Reg.
On December 1st, we are sharing our 250th episode of Wow in the World with all of you.
We think this one is going to be music to your ears.
Literally.
Did I mention it's a musical?
And if you're a member of the World Organization of Wowzers...
Oh boy, do I have a surprise for you.
You can listen to our 250th episode early with me and other members from around the world on Saturday, November 22nd, at 7 pm.
Eastern.
That's right, we are throwing another listening party.
Join us as we dance along to our new songs.
React to the episode with other members in the chat and more.
Grownups.
If you want your wowzer to join this members-only listening party, you can sign up to become a member today at Tinkercastcom.
Slash wow.
Already a member?
Well, you can find the link and password to join the event when you sign in at Tinkercastcom.
Slash wow.
That's it.
It's going to be a November to remember.
But for now, let's get on with the show.
Woo!
Just one more time.
The twist of this screw and this solar optical telescope will be good as new.
Hey, Guy Raz, what you doing?
Whoa!
Watch out for the... Solar optical telescope.
I just spent five hours fixing.
Sorry, Guy Raz.
It was an accident.
Well, now my solar optical telescope is back and I don't think I can fix it in time for the total eclipse of the sun.
You mean the total solar eclipse happening on August 21st?
Uh, yeah.
You mean the first, First total eclipse that will cross the entire United States from coast to coast in 99 years.
Yes.
You mean the eclipse that's supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity?
Yes, Mindy.
That's the eclipse I'm talking about.
And now that you've destroyed my telescope, I'm going to have to wait until... 2045.
The year 2045.
That's our next chance to see another total solar eclipse that crosses all of the United States.
Yes, please.
Precisely, which is why I'm about to get even angrier with you for ruining my telescope.
Oh, Guy Raz.
Come on, pal, buddy.
You don't mean that.
Mindy.
Let's just chill out.
Let's just calm down.
Mindy.
Relax.
Mindy.
You know what?
Let's meditate.
You ready?
Here we go.
Um.
Mindy.
Wait a minute.
Or is it um?
Oh.
Mindy.
Mindy.
Mindy.
Wait, who's there?
What's going on?
Mindy, this is no time for meditation.
I've got to figure out how I'm going to view this eclipse.
Oh, well, why didn't you just say so?
Hang on a sec.
Here, take these.
What are these?
These are special solar eclipse viewing glasses.
These things?
I don't know, Mindy.
I mean, they look like those 3D glasses you get at the movies.
And these are made out of I'm not so sure.
Don't worry, Guy Raz.
I promise you, these are certified safe.
Well, how do you know?
Oh well, so NASA, the US government agency, where some of the smartest and spaciest space scientists and astronauts work.
Well, they have this website where they recommend where to buy solar glasses so that you can safely watch the eclipse without burning your eyeballs out.
Oh, that's cool.
Is it the regular NASA website, nasa.gov?
Well, yeah, that's one way to get there.
We also have a special eclipse website, which can be found at eclipse2017nasagov, and there you can find out a whole bunch of cool stuff about the upcoming eclipse.
Well, are these glasses you're giving me compliant, you know, with the ISO 12312-2 International Safety Standard?
You better believe it, Guy Raz because, believe me, I know how crazy dangerous it is to look up at the sun.
These babies, they've got special dark lenses that are going to protect my eyes during the eclipse.
And that's because it's dangerous to look directly at the sun, even during an eclipse.
Yeah, I know that, Guy Raz, but in an eclipse the moon is sort of covering up the sun, so why is it so dangerous then?
Because, Mindy, the sun produces two kinds of invisible light that can really hurt your eyes.
There's infrared light and ultraviolet light.
So what happens to our eyes from that invisible light.
Well, ultraviolet light from the sun is particularly dangerous for our eyes Mindy, because our eyes aren't built to take in such a powerful amount of light.
And so if you look at the sun, it's a little like getting a sunburn, except on your eyes.
And that can actually make it harder for you to see.
Which is why come Monday, we'll all be wearing these special solar eclipse viewing glasses.
Well, I guess, if these glasses are safe to wear during the eclipse, I probably won't really need my solar optical telescope.
Yeah, that hunk of junk is way too heavy anyway.
Plus, if we're going to start walking to one of those 11 states where you'll be able to see the whole sun block by the moon, you better pack your backpack and a bunch of snacks, because we have got a long walk ahead of us, Skyroz.
A walk?
Yeah.
I was hoping that we would drive, but... No way.
The traffic is going to be crazy solid and I heard you can't even get a hotel in Charleston, South Carolina, because it's one of the most popular places to watch.
And I heard the town of Carbondale Illinois, might not even have enough room for everyone who wants to see the eclipse there.
Well, what other states can we visit?
Hmm, let me check my solar eclipse viewing guide.
Let's see.
Oh, here we go.
These are the states, Mindy.
Oregon Idaho Wyoming Nebraska, a teeny bit of Kansas Missouri, teeny bits of Illinois and Kentucky Tennessee, teeny parts of North Carolina and Georgia and then South Carolina.
Well, that's a lot of options.
We better start walking so we can figure out where to pitch these tents.
Okay, well, let's go.
So, which way is it?
Wow, we've made it outside of your house without getting lost yet, Guy Raz.
Okay, let me check my map here.
Okay, my map says this way.
My compass says that way.
You know what?
Let's just split the difference and go right in between.
Okay.
Let me just lock the house first.
Come on.
Catch up, little tomato.
We're going to be late.
At this rate Mindy, and according to my calculations, we should reach Hopkinsville Kentucky, by Sunday night.
And that's one of the places where we're going to be able to see the total eclipse on Monday.
Okay.
Well, that's all the time we need to learn as much as possible before it starts.
Well, it's a good thing I brought my solar eclipse guide.
Here, here, check this out, Mindy.
Do you know why this particular eclipse is so special?
Well, I do know.
It's the first time in almost 100 years that a total solar eclipse will cross the entire United States.
That's right.
And Mindy, there are different kinds of solar eclipses.
For example...
There are partial eclipses, and that's when the moon only covers a part of the sun.
But not this time.
What makes this coming eclipse so amazing is that the moon will block the entire sun from our view here in the United States.
And astronomers, they wait a lifetime to get to see this spectacular sight.
Wait a minute.
So if the eclipse is going to travel all across America...
Are we walking 500 miles to Kentucky to see it?
Ah, a very good question.
Well, most people in most parts of America will be able to see some of the eclipse, as long as it's not dark.
So when you say some of the eclipse, you mean they won't see the entire sun blocked by the moon?
Exactly.
And that's because only certain parts of America will be in the path of the total eclipse.
And that path will stretch from Oregon all the way to South Carolina.
And it's about 70 miles wide, like somebody took a giant, 70 miles wide paint roller and painted it across America.
That's a great way of thinking about it, Mindy.
So I was wondering, why do solar eclipses happen at all?
Well, according to this book, I have a total solar eclipse happens when the moon's umbral shadow, that's the darkest part, falls on the sun at a very, very specific point during the moon's orbit.
A point where the moon is at its Hold the phone, Guy Raz.
We've got to break this down.
So you're saying that the moon is casting a shadow over the sun, and that's what blocks the sun from being seen here on Earth.
Well, yeah, that's the basic idea.
And a total solar eclipse happens somewhere on Earth roughly every year and a half.
Wait a minute.
I thought they were super rare.
That's why everyone's freaking out about it.
Well, they are rare because each solar eclipse can only be seen in one small part of the Earth each time.
So, for example, while we get to see it here in the United States, it won't be visible to people in other parts of the world.
This time,
Ah, okay.
So I'm guessing that this might have something to do with the way the moon orbits or circles around the Earth.
Yes, the moon orbits or makes a full circle around the Earth every 29 and a half days.
So it takes about a month.
But there's not a solar eclipse every month.
So why is that?
Well, part of the reason is the way the moon orbits the Earth.
It's not a perfect circle.
And that means there are only two times a year when the moon lines up with the Earth.
Just the right way to block out the sun somewhere on Earth.
But, but what?
To get a full solar eclipse, the sun also has to be in just the right spot.
And as you know, even though the moon orbits our Earth, the Earth orbits the sun.
So everything has to line up perfectly to get an eclipse.
And that's why it's so rare, because it doesn't happen that often.
Okay, let me get something straight here, Guy Raz.
Sure.
So the radius of the sun is something like 432,000 miles, right?
That's right.
If you were to draw a line from the center of the sun to its outer edge, that line would be 432000 miles.
Yeah, and I know that the radius of the moon is 1,000 miles.
That's right.
Which, according to my calculations, means that the sun is 400 times bigger bigger than the moon.
Yup.
Sounds about right.
OK Roz, if the sun is 400 times bigger than the moon, then how can our teeny tiny, itsy bitsy, cutie pie little baby moon block the entire gargantuan sun from being seen here on Earth on August 21st?
Well, I was wondering exactly the same thing, Mindy.
And you know what?
What?
The sun is actually 400 times farther away from Earth Than the moon, which means Which means that from here on Earth, the sun and the moon look about the same size.
Exactly.
It's kind of like an optical illusion.
Like when you see someone standing far away and you stick your thumb out and then you can hide them behind your thumb.
What?
Well, that's why even the tiny moon can block out the giant sun from our view here on Earth.
I am getting so excited I can hardly breathe.
I know exactly how you feel, Mindy.
And there are actually people who travel all over the world just to see a solar eclipse.
I wonder what it's going to be like when it happens.
Well, I've never actually seen a total solar eclipse.
But from what I've been told, it's something like this.
As the moon begins to cover the sun, the sky will get darker and darker.
Okay.
And as it continues to darken, the temperature will drop because less sunlight will reach our part of the earth.
Yeah?
And?
And the moment the entire moon covers the sun, that part is called totality.
Got it.
When totality happens, the sky will go dark and you may actually see stars, and The temperature will cool down even more and birds may start to chirp and freak out.
Man, these rods are starting to freak me out.
Well, can you imagine, Mindy, what it was like to experience a solar eclipse in ancient times?
I mean, people really used to freak out.
Why?
What would happen?
Well, from what I've read back in the old days, long before people understood that solar eclipses were normal and natural events in some ancient cultures.
They thought they were signs of terrible things to come.
Here, check out what my solar eclipse guide says about the ancient Vikings.
Oh, let me see that thing.
Okay, it says right here the ancient Vikings thought solar eclipses were the work of Skull, a wolf that chased a sun god.
And the Vikings thought that Skull was trying to swallow the sun.
Oh, check this out.
During solar eclipses, Ancient Vikings used to shout and scream and make loud noises to scare away skulls.
Sounds a little weird, huh?
I mean, good thing we don't worry about that stuff anymore.
Uh, Mindy?
Uh, Mindy?
Uh, Mindy, you don't have to worry about... to worry about.
Hey, Roz, why are you screaming?
I'm standing right next to you.
So how long will this whole shebang last anyway?
Well, the eclipse will begin at 10.15 a.m.
Pacific time, so 1.15 p.m.
Eastern time, and it'll take about an hour and a half for the eclipse to cross over the United States.
And so how long will the moon completely block the light from the sun?
Well, if you're in the path of totality...
It will last anywhere from a minute to about two and a half minutes.
And that's the most spectacular time to see the eclipse, because it's the moment when all you will see in the sky is a black disk with a glowing crown all around it.
Oh yeah, that's the corona, right?
The light from the sun glowing around the edges of the moon?
Yep, and if you are in the path of totality, those two minutes will be the only time when it's safe to take off your solar viewing glasses.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
But only if the entire sun is blocked by the moon, because even if a tiny bit of the sun is still peeking out, it's not safe to look at without special protective glasses like these ones.
With the International Safety Standard ISO 12312-2.
Got it.
So our solar glasses should be marked with that number.
Hey, Guy Raz, I just thought of something.
Where is the next total solar eclipse happening?
Good question.
Let me look in the book here.
Let's see.
2018.
No.
2019.
Yep.
The next time we'll be able to see a total solar eclipse on Earth will be on July 2nd 2019 in parts of Chile and Argentina.
Wow.
It's amazing how scientists can know that.
Even more amazing, Mindy, is that NASA, the space agency...
NASA knows when each total solar eclipse will happen all the way until the year 3000.
How can they figure that out?
Well, by using mathematics.
They can calculate the precise moments when the sun and the moon and the earth will align or line up in just the right way.
Oh, you're talking about syzygy.
Yeah.
It's what happens when the sun, the moon, and the earth are all lined up in a perfect line.
Syzygy.
That's right.
Anywho, we still have a lot of walking before we get to Kentucky.
But I was wondering, Guy Raz.
Yeah?
When the next total solar eclipse happens in the United States in 2045.
Maybe we should think about flying Reggie.
Yeah, I think that's a great idea, but I think you're going to have to leave the pots and pans back home next time.
But who's going to scare a skull from the sun god's soul?
Loud in the world, we'll be right back.
Hey, grownups, it's Mindy and Guy Raz here from Wow in the World.
Mindy and I have some brand new Wow in the World toys out in the world just in time for the holidays.
Made for the kids who love science and for the ones who don't yet.
From our 100 experiments, that Wow kit to the telescope and astronomy kit.
Our Wow in the World toys help your wowzer learn about their world through play.
Plus, you can hear exclusive audio content from me and Guy Raz to help your wowzer discover even more wows.
Grown-ups.
Give the gift of wow and wonder this holiday season with our latest Wow in the World toys designed with your curious wowzer in mind.
You can shop our Wow in the World toys at Tinkercast.com slash toys.
That's Tinkercast.com slash toys.
Hey guys, it's Mindy here and I am in the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum with my new friend, David Dvorkin.
Hi, David.
Hi, how are you doing?
I'm good.
So, David, you are a curator of astronomy here at the Air and Space Museum.
That sounds like a pretty interesting job.
Can you tell us what you do?
I look out for interesting and important information, Things that we can collect, like the old cameras and pieces of the Hubble Space Telescope and things like that.
We got them and they're on display here at the Air and Space Museum.
Wow!
So when you were a kid, were you doing this kind of thing then?
I was crazy about telescopes, and I wanted to build telescopes.
I think my first telescope I actually built when I was 13, 14 and looking at the stars, the planets, the sun, seeing farther than anybody else, and I was just totally hooked.
Wow.
So that means you probably remember your first total solar eclipse.
Oh, I sure do.
Can you tell us about it?
March 1970.
I was still a grad student and we formed the Yale University Observatory Eclipse Expedition and Beach Party.
Nice.
You knew how to celebrate.
We went to Nantucket Island.
All I can remember is looking up through the dome and saying, wow, it was amazing.
And we had a wonderful time.
So one of the questions I have for you is what happens to plants and animals during the eclipse?
Like, are the roosters going to start crowing?
They do get confused.
We noticed that the birds in Nantucket you know, like pigeons, some of them were just walking around in circles.
Really?
Yeah.
Well, pigeons are kind of confused.
You know pigeons.
Yeah, yeah.
But I remember particularly a bunch of pigeons came down, didn't quite know what to do.
They were just confused.
Well, yeah, yeah.
And just at the end of the eclipse, we noticed that clouds were forming because the temperature was dropping and there was condensation going on.
But everything is affected.
Absolutely everything is affected.
Several mayors of small cities in Connecticut were worried that there were evil rays coming out of the sun during an eclipse, and so they closed the parks.
Whoa!
Yeah, and we got on the radio and helped to have people appreciate this is not something to be scared of.
It is a tremendous experience.
Enjoy it and just, you know, it's awe-inspiring.
I can't wait for it.
And I'm so excited that we'll be here with you at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum on Monday.
And David, thank you so much for talking with us today.
Pleasure.
Absolute pleasure.
And you all come.
Bye, David.
Bye-bye.
So much for listening to wow in the world this week.
And parents, if you want to continue the conversation with your kids, we've posted some questions about this episode at our website, wow in the world dot com and, while you're there, you can find links to some of the sources we use to tell our stories this week.
Also, we love hearing from you.
You can write us at hello at wow in the world dot com, our show is produced by Jed Anderson.
Say hello, Jed hello.
Our theme song, Wow in the World, was written and performed by The Pop-Ups.
Check them out at thepopups.com.
Big thanks to David Dvorkin, astronomy curator from the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum.
And don't forget for anyone in Washington DC, we will be at the Air and Space Museum watching the eclipse live.
So if you can, come meet us.
Also, we love hearing what's been wowing you.
For a chance to be featured on an upcoming Thursday episode.
Have your grownups help you share something that's recently wowed your world by dialing 1-888-7WOWOW.
Thanks again for listening, subscribing, and telling your friends about our show.
We'll be back for a brand new Thursday edition.
In the meantime, go forth and find your own wow in the world.
Wow in the world.
And before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a short survey at wondery.com slash survey.
