Latest news with #solarEclipse
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Holland America Line Enriches 2026 Solar Eclipse Cruises with the Addition of Astronomy Experts
The three solar eclipse sailings each will host an expert offering lectures, insight, commentary and more SEATTLE, Aug. 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As astronomical wonders continue to capture global attention, Holland America Line announces the addition of astronomy experts to its three 2026 solar eclipse cruises. A total solar eclipse will be visible on Aug. 12, 2026, and guests aboard Nieuw Statendam, Oosterdam and Zuiderdam will have exclusive access to lectures, presentations and tips on how to make the most of their eclipse viewing. Boston University Professor Meers Oppenheim will be aboard Zuiderdam's 18-day "Voyage of the Vikings: Solar Eclipse" cruise; University of California San Diego Professor Adam Burgasser will join guests on Oosterdam for the 13-day "Mediterranean Solar Eclipse" cruise; and Tom Vassos, former professor at University of Toronto, will be aboard Nieuw Statendam's 28-day "Legendary Solar Eclipse with Greenland and Scotland" cruise. "At Holland America Line we are consistently striving to curate extraordinary moments for our guests, and the upcoming solar eclipse cruises are no exception," said Joe Chantry, vice president of entertainment and enrichment for Holland America Line. "By welcoming three distinguished astronomy experts aboard, we're offering our guests not only front-row views to a rare phenomenon, but also the opportunity to deepen their understanding in an enriching setting." These distinguished experts will provide guests with exclusive insight into one of nature's most extraordinary spectacles, offering lectures, a special Q&A session and real-time commentary as the three ships position in the path of totality during the solar eclipse. With their varied backgrounds and expertise, each expert may host additional Q&A sessions and activities about astronomy topics beyond the solar eclipse during their time on board. Voyage of the Vikings and Professor Meers Oppenheim Zuiderdam's 35-day "Legendary Voyage of the Vikings: Solar Eclipse" cruise departs July 18, 2026, and sails roundtrip from Boston, Massachusetts. An 18-day segment of the sailing is available to book, as well, sailing from Rotterdam, the Netherlands, to Boston on Aug. 4. The ship will position off the coast of Iceland in the path of totality for the solar eclipse. Meers Oppenheim has been a Professor of Astronomy at Boston University for more than 25 years and is currently the associate director of the BU Center for Space Physics. He studies phenomena that occur within our solar systems and has expertise in ionospheric and solar plasmas, as well as the physics of meteors. He also enjoys teaching both introductory astronomy for non-scientists, astronomy majors and graduate classes. Mediterranean Solar Eclipse and Professor Adam Burgasser The 13-day "Mediterranean Solar Eclipse" cruise aboard Oosterdam sails from Lisbon, Portugal, to Piraeus (Athens), Greece, departing Aug. 9. The ship will sail off the coast of Spain in the path of totality for the solar eclipse. Dr. Burgasser is an award-winning professor of physics at University of California San Diego and an observational astrophysicist investigating the lowest-mass stars, coldest brown dwarfs and exoplanets. He is an author, conducts educational research in physics and is a champion for improving equality and inclusion in the sciences. Guests aboard Oosterdam will have the opportunity to hear about the latest astrophysics research and the connections between astronomy and Mediterranean history as Professor Burgasser will be delivering additional science lectures during the cruise. Legendary Solar Eclipse Voyage with Tom Vassos Nieuw Statendam is sailing a 28-day "Legendary Solar Eclipse with Greenland and Scotland" cruise featuring the total solar eclipse. The roundtrip Dover, England, voyage departs June 24 and will be positioned off the coast of Iceland in the path of totality on Aug. 12. An accomplished science communicator, Vassos has taught courses at several universities around the world, including more than 35 years at the University of Toronto. He is an astronomer, author, member of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada and founder of Cosmologists Without Borders. Additional enrichment on the solar eclipse cruises includes providing specialized protective equipment (safety glasses) for safe viewing, themed activities and themed culinary offerings throughout the day of the solar eclipse. For more information about Holland America Line, consult a travel advisor, call 1-877-SAIL HAL (877-724-5425) or visit Find Holland America Line on Facebook, Instagram and the Holland America Blog. You can also access all social media outlets via the home page at About Holland America Line [a division of Carnival Corporation and plc (NYSE: CCL and CUK)] Holland America Line has been exploring the world for more than 150 years with expertly crafted itineraries, extraordinary service and genuine connections to the destinations. Offering a perfectly-sized ship experience, its fleet of 11 vessels visits nearly 400 ports in 114 countries around the world and has shared the thrill of Alaska for more than 75 years — longer than any other cruise line. Savour the Journey isn't just a tagline, it's a reinforcement that the cruise line provides experiences too good to hurry through, connecting travelers to the world and each other. Award-winning enrichment programming, entertainment and cuisine that brings each locale on board, including a revolutionary Global Fresh Fish Program, put Holland America Line at the forefront of premium cruising. CONTACT: Bill Zucker PHONE: 800-637-5029, 206-626-9890 EMAIL: pr@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Holland America Line Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Forbes
22-07-2025
- Forbes
When To See Sydney Harbor's First Total Solar Eclipse Since 1857
The sun sets behind the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House before the lights come on ... More for Vivid Sydney 2024 on May 28, 2024 in Sydney, Australia .(Photo by Steve Christo - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images) There's a trio of incredible total solar eclipses coming, with as much as 13 minutes of totality possible within less than two years in some of the world's most attractive locations. On Aug. 12, 2026, Greenland, Iceland and northern Spain see totality. It happens again on Aug. 2, 2027, in southern Spain and across North Africa, including temple-filled Luxor in Egypt. Given that booking early is essential since North America woke up to total solar eclipses in 2017 and 2024, most eclipse chasers will have made detailed plans for both of those events by now, but few will have thought much about the eclipse that ends the spectacular run — a long totality on July 22, 2028, in Australia and New Zealand. The Astronomical Society of Australia has recently published a website about the 2028 eclipse, which includes a countdown timer and advice on safely watching the eclipse. Here's what you need to know. Extreme tidal range shown here at low tide as found on Bigge Island, Kimberley, Western Australia, ... More Australia, Pacific Eclipse 2028 Will Cross Two Countries, Four Landmasses On Saturday, July 22, 2028, a path of totality 143 miles (230 kilometers) wide will cross Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands (both territories of Australia), Australia and New Zealand. In Australia, the path crosses from northwest to southeast, entering at Bigge Island on the Kimberly coast in Western Australia and exiting at Sydney in New South Wales. Eclipse 2028 Will Plunge Iconic Landmarks Into Totality Totality will be visible across Sydney and its suburbs — its first total solar eclipse since 1857 and last until 2858. Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge will both go dark, providing iconic silhouettes during totality, as will Anzac Bridge, Darling Harbour and the Bondi to Coogee coast. It's a rare chance for eclipse photographers to capture urban eclipse imagery. Other landmarks on the path include the Bungle Bungle Range in Purnululu National Park, Western Australia, Karlu Karlu (Devils Marbles) in the Northern Territory, and Siding Springs Observatory in Warrumbungle, New South Wales. The path of the total solar eclipse on July 22, 2028. Eclipse 2028's Totality Will Be Longest In Western Australia The mathematical point of maximum eclipse is 5 minutes 10 seconds totality in a very remote area of Western Australia. However, the closest accessible areas — islands to the west off the Kimberly coast and the region to the east close to Lake Argyle — both offer 5 minutes and 3-4 seconds, which is the maximum that can practically be experienced thanks to the bumpy profile of the moon's shadow. Clear Skies Are More Likely Away From Sydney For Eclipse 2028 It may be an iconic destination and where most people experience this eclipse (almost all of the 6.3 million people in the path live in Sydney), but the chances of a clear sky in Sydney during mid-winter are a lot smaller than in remote Outback regions. According to Christmas Island has a 65% chance of cloud, Cocos Islands 57% and Sydney 47%. Meanwhile, the Kimberly Coast and Western Australia are 7%, and the Northern Territory is around 20%. The chance of cloud gradually increases as the path approaches Sydney. City of Dunedin at Dusk - sunset. High angle view. Eclipse 2028 Will End Dramatically In New Zealand The eclipse path also crosses New Zealand's South Island, where there's around a 60-70% chance of cloud. It will be the country's first total solar eclipse since 1965. Remarkably, the centerline of the path — where totality lasts just shy of three minutes — passes over tourist mecca Queenstown and Dunedin. However, from New Zealand, the eclipse will happen just 11 degrees above the northwestern horizon, making sightlines difficult. Observing locations will need to be checked out in advance very carefully to avoid missing the magical moments. New Zealand will also have a fabulous "ring of fire" annular solar eclipse on Mar. 9, 2035, followed by another total solar eclipse on Jul. 13, 2037. Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
Forbes
08-07-2025
- Science
- Forbes
Total Solar Eclipses May Soon Last 48 Minutes, Scientists Say
A total solar eclipse is seen on Monday, August 21, 2017 above Madras, Oregon. A total solar eclipse ... More swept across a narrow portion of the contiguous United States from Lincoln Beach, Oregon to Charleston, South Carolina. A partial solar eclipse was visible across the entire North American continent along with parts of South America, Africa, and Europe. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani) NASA/Aubrey Gemignani EXC: Artificial solar eclipses in space could help scientists study the sun's corona, improving space weather predictions with the UK-led MESOM mission. KEYS: MESOM, corona, space weather, solar storm, Mullard Space Lab, Surrey Space Centre, solar flares, coronal mass ejection COPY: A U.K.-led space mission will try to experience around 80 total solar eclipses in space, potentially offering scientists an unprecedented glimpse into the sun's mysterious outer atmosphere. The Moon-Enabled Sun Occultation Mission (MESOM), unveiled today at the Royal Astronomical Society's National Astronomy Meeting 2025 in Durham, will synchronize its orbit to coincide with solar eclipses in space. If approved by ESA, MESOM would cost no more than $240 million and could be in orbit by 2026-28. MESOM comes in the wake of the first images from Proba-3, a European Space Agency mission to do something very similar — though that will only last for two years. Solar Corona Clearer, longer views of the sun's elusive inner corona — the source of powerful solar flares and storms — are essential if solar physicists are to better understand space weather. Only during a total solar eclipse can the corona be glimpsed from Earth's surface, and even then, only for a few minutes from any one location. Unlike Earth-based total solar eclipses, MESOM aims to align a mini-satellite with the moon's central umbral shadow once every lunar month — 29.6 days. MESOM's unique orbit will repeatedly pass through the apex of the moon's umbral cone, the darkest portion of its shadow, generating near-monthly eclipses. 48-Minute totality These in-space eclipses could last up to 48 minutes, far longer than anything experienced from the ground on Earth. 'MESOM capitalizes on the chaotic dynamics of the Sun-Earth-Moon system to reproduce total solar eclipse conditions in space while using the moon as a natural occulter,' said co-investigator Dr Nicola Baresi, from the Surrey Space Centre. An occulter is something that blocks light from a celestial object. MESOM will have the following instruments on board: Telescope (US Naval Research Lab): imaging the corona. Spectrometer (Aberystwyth & UCL): studying coronal plasma. Spectropolarimeter (Spain): analyzing magnetic fields, sunspots and solar and flares. Getting Closer To The Corona MESOM is a slight upgrade on ESA's current Proba-3 mission. That mission sees two spacecraft align so one can occult the sun and project a shadow onto the other — no moon required. As well as moving into the always-there shadow of the moon, MESOM aims to peer in from just 1.02 solar radii — 35,000 miles (56,000 kilometers) closer than Proba-3. The Proba-3 satellites follow a highly elliptical 19.6-hour orbit ranging from 373 miles (600 km) at perigee to 37,000 miles (60,000 km) at apogee, flying in precision formation only near apogee. At apogee, they're as far away from Earth's gravitational force and atmospheric drag, enabling them to fly in formation autonomously, achieving eclipse-like conditions for six hours. The 'Concorde Eclipse' Although MESOM's 48-minute totality would be impressive, it's less than experienced by Concorde on June 30, 1973, when an experimental Concorde aircraft extended totality from 7 minutes and 4 seconds on the ground to 74 minutes in the air, by flying almost as fast as the moon's shadow. It took off from Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, in the Spanish Canary Islands, and flew at 1,350 mph (2,200 km/h) as the moon's shadow raced across it at 1,500 mph (2,400 km/h). Concorde was able to extend totality from 7 minutes to 4 seconds on the ground. The Longest Total Solar Eclipse From Earth Mathematically, the longest total solar eclipse could last 7 minutes 31 seconds, according to Jean Meeus . The longest total solar eclipse known to have occurred was 7 minutes, 28 seconds on June 15, 743 BC, in the Indian Ocean. However, it's been calculated that the longest so far — 7 minutes, 29 seconds — will occur in the Atlantic Ocean on July 16, 2186. The longest total solar eclipse left this century, with a totality duration of 6 minutes and 23 seconds, will occur on Aug. 2, 2027, close to Luxor, Egypt. Ancient Egypt's capital of Thebes, Luxor, is home to the Valley of the Kings and Queens, Karnak, and several other temples. Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes. The same total solar eclipse with the fields of view of the MESOM instruments superimposed on top of ... More it (i.e. HiBri,LoBri, CHILS and Mag-CHILS). Miloslav Druckmuller, Shadia Habbal, Pavel Starha. Attribution (CC BY 4.0)
Travel Weekly
28-06-2025
- Travel Weekly
From solar eclipses to Mississippi cruises, Smithsonian Journeys unveils new trips
Smithsonian Journeys has unveiled new itineraries for 2026 and 2027, featuring land-based tours, special solar eclipse trips and small-ship cruises, including on the Mississippi River. The tour operator is expanding its tour collection, including to the Balkans and Greece. Smithsonian Journeys is also leaning into the astrotourism trend with itineraries dedicated to observing the skies and will offer a river cruise in the U.S. The brand will debut "Baltics Past and Present: A Journey to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia," an 18-day itinerary launching in May that takes travelers to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. There, travelers will explore historic sites, visit castles and see World Heritage-listed towns. The "Greek Odyssey: Athens to Corfu" itinerary will bring travelers across Greece in 14 days, where they will visit the birthplace of democracy, the island of Corfu and places like Delphi, known for being an ancient sanctuary in Greece. Other new itineraries are to Switzerland and the American West. Tapping into the astrotourism trend, Smithsonian Journeys will offer two itineraries next year dedicated to celestial wonders after seeing a spike in interest in solar eclipse tours. The brand will offer "Solar Eclipse Over Spain -- Basque Country to León," an eight-day itinerary with one departure date beginning Aug. 8, where travelers will witness the total solar eclipse in northern Spain. Visitors will also explore Madrid and World Heritage sites. This itinerary is already proving to be one of the most popular with travelers, the tour operator said. "Chile Earth and Sky: A Stargazing Journey from Santiago to the Atacama Desert" will offer two departure dates next year and one departure date in 2027. The 12-day itinerary dives into astronomy in northern Chile, including trips to observatories. Smithsonian Journeys will launch two new small-ship cruises, one next year and one in 2027. Smithsonian Journeys and Ponant will offer a joint expedition cruise to the Baja Peninsula next year. Photo Credit: Smithsonian Journeys "Cruising the Mississippi: A Springtime Voyage from Memphis to New Orleans" will take passengers on a nine-day trip of the Mississippi River on the American Splendor paddlewheeler. Passengers will visit Southern cities, battlefields and plantations. The "Baja and the Sea of Cortez" itinerary is a joint offering between Smithsonian Journeys and Ponant Exploration. The 2027 expedition cruise on Pnant's Le Bellot will last 11 days, bringing passengers to the Baja Peninsula, where they will watch grey whales, snorkel with sea lions and hike dunes. The tour operator also revealed its top 10 journeys for 2026, which "reflect an appetite for discovery," the brand said. These popular itineraries are to Japan, Italy, Egypt, Central Asia, Spain, Turkiye, Switzerland, Greece and France.
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists Line Up Satellites to Create "Artificial Total Solar Eclipse"
Two satellites just carefully lined up to form a perfect "artificial total solar eclipse" in orbit. Earlier this year, the two probes, which are part of the European Space Agency's Proba-3 mission, positioned themselves in a perfect line 492 feet apart to have one of them perfectly obfuscate the Sun's rays. Impressively, they were able to maintain their position with an accuracy down to the millimeter. The outermost satellite then snapped fascinating pictures of the Sun's corona, the outermost part of our star's atmosphere, something that's generally speaking only possible during a natural solar eclipse. The first "Occulter" satellite's 4.6-foot disc cast a three-inch shadow onto the Association of Spacecraft for Polarimetric and Imaging Investigation of the Corona of the Sun (ASPIICS) instrument mounted to the second "Coronagraph" satellite, allowing it to get an uninterrupted view of the Sun's corona. The spectacular satellite dance could give researchers new ways to study solar wind, or the continuous flow of particles from the Sun. It could also give them new views of coronal mass ejections, powerful explosions of plasma and magnetic fields that have been linked to radio blackouts and GPS outages here on Earth. "It is exciting to see these stunning images validate our technologies in what is now the world's first precision formation flying mission," said ESA director of technology Dietmar Pilz in a statement. Researchers behind the stunt are excited to gather even more images and data of the Sun's corona. "I was absolutely thrilled to see the images, especially since we got them on the first try," ASPIICS principal investigator Andrei Zhukov added. "Now we are working on extending the observation time to six hours in every orbit." "Each full image — covering the area from the occulted Sun all the way to the edge of the field of view – is actually constructed from three images," he explained. "Combining the three images gives us the full view of the corona." Best of all, Zhukov and his colleagues found that the satellites' "'artificial eclipse' images are comparable with those taken during a natural eclipse." "The difference is that we can create our eclipse once every 19.6-hour orbit," he added, "while total solar eclipses only occur naturally around once, very rarely twice a year." Scientists are already excited about the glut of new observations that could greatly enhance existing research into the Sun's atmosphere, including efforts to use computer simulations to predict future patterns. "This huge flow of observations will help refine computer models further as we compare and adjust variables to match the real images," said ESA space weather modeling coordinator Jorge Amaya in the statement. More on solar eclipses: Here's What NASA's Rovers See During an Eclipse on Mars
