Eclipse map shows the brightness of the Sun from other worlds

Posted by Michael Bakich
on Thursday, March 12, 2015

This map shows where you would need to be to experience the same average levels of sunlight received by other solar system bodies. // Michael Zeiler/GreatAmericanEclipse LLC
I just received a great new graphic from Michael Zeiler, who runs GreatAmericanEclipse, LLC. He calculated the average brightness of the Sun at Mars, Ceres, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, and then translated those to lines on a map he created for the March 20, 2015, total solar eclipse.

So, now, even if you're not fortunate enough to be in the path of totality (a bit dicey for this eclipse, to be sure), you may be able to use your location as a teaching tool to demonstrate how much sunlight other worlds in our solar system receive.

And, before you ask, yes, Zeiler will be creating a similar map for the August 21, 2017, total solar eclipse that will sweep across the U.S. Nicely done!

Comments
To leave a comment you must be a member of our community.
Login to your account now, or register for an account to start participating.
No one has commented yet.
Join our Community!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

ADVERTISEMENT
FREE EMAIL NEWSLETTER

Receive news, sky-event information, observing tips, and more from Astronomy's weekly email newsletter. View our Privacy Policy.

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Find us on Facebook