Solar eclipse is “sensory experience”, says astronomer

“It is indeed a completely different sensory experience, capable of altering the temperature, wind and behavior of animals”, said today to Lusa Lina Canas, astronomer and director of the Centro Ciência Viva (CCV) of Constance — Astronomy Park, in the district of Santarém, recalling the total eclipse it witnessed in 2016, in the Molucas Islands, Indonesia, and the effects it witnessed in nature.

“It’s not just visual, we feel the temperature dropping, we feel a wind rising,” he said, referring to the so-called “e eclipse wind”, associated with the thermal difference, while animals changed their behavior: birds, for example, returned to nests in the face of the approaching darkness.

For the person responsible, these are changes that make the phenomenon go beyond simple astronomical observation and explain the ability of an eclipse to surprise those who see it.

“It’s an experience that messes with anyone, leaves no one indifferent”, he said.

It is this experience that about 500 people will seek to live in the Centro Ciência Viva de Constância on Wednesday, August 12, in a program that has been exhausted for several weeks and includes observation of the Sun through telescopes, planetary sessions, free distribution of eclipse glasses and direct transmission of the full phase in the amphitheater Rómulo de Carvalho.

“ It will be a busy day”, anticipated Lina Canas, explaining that the program starts at 3pm with planetary sessions and that, from 5pm, three properly equipped telescopes will be pointed to the Sun and accompanied by the Centre team.

The eclipse begins at 6:37 p.m. and ends at 8:29 p.m., with a 96% concealment of the solar disk in Constance.

The phenomenon will be observable throughout the Portuguese territory, but only in a small area of the Natural Park of Montesinho, in the district of Bragança, it will be possible to watch the whole, for about 26 seconds.

The last total eclipse of the Sun observed in Portugal occurred in 1912 and the next one is only scheduled for 2144.

For Lina Canas, it is precisely the possibility for a person to attend such a phenomenon during his lifetime that makes this occasion particularly special.

“It is not uncommon for you, what is rare is this occurrence in the same place, in a person’s lifetime. So it’s really to enjoy”, he said.

After the eclipse, the Constancy program lasts through the night with the Perseidas observation between 10:00 and 11:30. The meteor shower is expected to peak on the night from 12 to 13 August and the New Moon, which takes place on the 12th, should favor observation in a sky without interference from lunar light.

“ We invite all these participants to stay after the eclipse, to stay for the night to observe the meteor shower with us also ", explained the director, adding that the participants may still stay overnight in the support park of the Center.

The initiative also includes an accessibility dimension, with a tactile approach to the eclipse aimed at blind people or with low vision, through models of the Sun, the Moon and the relationship between the three stars, allowing the non-visual explanation of the phenomenon.

“ We need to think about all our participants and their specific needs,” Lina Canas said, arguing that science communication should find different ways of transmitting knowledge and reaching different audiences.

Security will also be a concern. Direct observation of the Sun without adequate protection can cause eye injuries, so participants enrolled in Constância will receive free eclipse glasses, one pair being distributed by groups up to four people and two pairs in the larger groups.