2010: The Year of Total Eclipse

For the Northern Hemisphere of Earth, we have arrived at the winter solstice and the light has faded.  For us in the north, spring is only 3 months away.  For all of Earth, however, we will remain in the shadow of the disk in the epsilon Aurigae system for the next 12 months and then some - until nearly spring of 2011.  Thus, we will be deprived of some of the warming photons coming to us from the F star in the system, while the dark disk intrudes and lingers in the line of sight.

2010 will provide special opportunities for observers of all capacity - from visual to interferometric.  Look at the visual light curve compiled here at Citizen Sky - notice the inflections during ingress.  These details have never been seen this clearly!  Persistence on your part, reporting your estimates, will help us determine details of the start of totality and especially as we approach mid-eclipse later in spring, when sun angle gets minimal.  Thanks for your dedication on this project!  As 2010 unfolds, we should be starting to see reports that interpret the many lines of observations being made.  Here's to a Happy New year for all.