Supermoon and Solar Eclipse Worth Checking Out in May in California
Photo: A Nyala at the Sequoia Zoo in Eureka isn’t too worked up over by the annular solar eclipse news.
Stargazers know that this weekend offers a treat for Californians. Be sure to step out and look at the moon on Saturday night, May 5, 2012. The moon will appear 14% larger and 30% brighter, thanks to its orbit being closer to Planet Earth. But something possibly more exciting is coming soon.
You’re invited to a solar party! On Sunday, May 20, 2012, Eureka celebrates the first annular solar eclipse in three decades. You won’t be able to see it in the Bay Area, but you can see its shadow go directly over Redwood National Park, home of the world’s tallest trees. The southern and northern viewing boundaries of the eclipse shadow will be roughly from Garberville to Crescent City. Anywhere outside that range will witness only a partial eclipse. Similar to a total eclipse, a quirk in the moon’s orbit leaves a thin ring of light around the sun (redwoods.info/eclipse).
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