From: Molalla Area Chamber of Commerce [mailto:macc@molalla.net]
Sent: Thursday, August 04, 2016 3:53 PM
To: 'macc@molalla.net'
Subject: Your Chamber is not in the Dark :-) Lunch at Legeond's Thursday 11th
Molalla is in the path of totality for the Great American Eclipse of August 21, 2017!
Observers there will see (appx.) 1m 11s of totality!
These are great fun events. The Moon will intervene the rays of the sun, and “black out” the Sun for a short period here in Molalla.
Communities north and south of us, will get a Peak of the sun, above or below the moon , and therefore will not be a total eclipse. Molalla will be blacked out.
Sometimes the Moon is further away from the earth and the shadow ends up being a cone that does not reach the earth and the sun is darkened but not blocked. Occasionally the moon is just right, and the eclipse is classified a total eclipse. That is what is being reported for Molalla next year. If clouds block the sky, it will still grow slowly dark, and the dark as night, then slowly brighten again. We are reported to have one minute and 11 seconds of total moon shadow, with no edge of the sun peaking by. The darkening, black out, and gradual lightening will take quite a while. The “Path” of the shadow is created by the rotation of the earth, and the orbital path of the moon. I once earned an astronomy medal for determining the integer number of days, equal in number, divisible into all lunar and solar eclipses. It was a long time ago. In ancient times forecasting this numerical “clock like” mechanism would appear to be magical, or highly spiritual. Today the empirical values are known, and forecasting is very precise.
Do you want to have a Black-out party? Sell some solar glasses? You should not look at the sun directly during the eclipse. Even though the sun is partially obscured during at the beginning and end, the solar rays, are just as powerful. There is just a lesser area of them. This is a rare event in any geographical area, because the obit of the earth, moon, and solar and lunar distances, don’t often cast a shadow reaching the same spot on earth, within most lifetimes. Other eclipse, penumbral and partial eclipses happen fairly often.
Now for something serious:
Lunch next week at Legend’s. $11.00 on line $15.00 at the door. Gerald Fisher will be our speaker, with “forecasts and predictions” on the road construction and completion. Gerald is one of our most recent hires at the city, and brings a world of experience and “patience” to the job. Please come and Welcome this new advocate for our city.
Visit our on-line Store at: http://mkt.com/molalla-chamber-of-commerce
Grant Sharp, Executive Director “notice the new title” J
Molalla Area Chamber of Commerce
(503) 829-6941