A partial solar eclipse will occur Monday in what Ted Pedas, Farrell school district planetarium director, professor and columnist, is calling a “once in a lifetime event.”

The eclipse will begin at 10:55 a.m. Nearly 60 percent of the sun's surface will be covered at 12:30 p.m. and the eclipse will end shortly after 2 p.m.

Pedas is known throughout the area for his cosmological expertise and generosity. His brother, George, is the technical education director for the district. George has a quieter demeanor than his brother, but when talking astronomy, he flares a heartfelt passion as well.

As I talk with George in his office, his sister, Marcy Sigler calls. She is a real estate agent in New York City. Although she has already bought 200 eclipse glasses, she needs 500 more.

Astronomy is, indeed, a family affair.

But it is an affair that the Pedas clan has shared for years with young minds, stirring within them their own astronomical passions.

Thanks to Ted's generosity, every pupil, teacher and support staff member in the Farrell school district received a pair of eclipse glasses to view the phenomenon. His generosity did not go unnoticed by the pupils.

Responses: Ebony Davis, a 10th-grader at Farrell, is excited. “I'm going to watch it for sure,” she says. “It's not very often a person can see an eclipse in their lifetime. This will be my second.” She remembers when she was in fifth grade and the Pedases set up telescopes outside the school for another partial eclipse.

Curtis Fryson, a third-grader, may be move excited about wearing the glasses than the actual event. “They're cool! They look like 3-D glasses, ” he says merrily.

Even the first-graders understand the event. Marsha Evans explains. “The sun is going to look like it is going down, and then it will look like it is coming back up.”

First-grader Paula Fair interjects, “But don't touch the lenses!” referring to the eclipse glasses.

Teachers' preparations: Sixth-grade teacher Japraunika Wright has been making pinhole camera boxes with her classes. “They have been so excited about it. They are working so diligently,” she says, as she points to the black shoe boxes the pupils have painted.

JoAnna Wilson explains, “They are for being able to look at the sun and not get your eyes burned. ” These sixth-graders will be alternating between their pinhole boxes and their eclipse glasses.

Keith Fustos, a sixth-grade math teacher, is so impressed with his pupils' knowledge of the eclipse, he gives high-fives to his class after our visit.

Through all the excitement and anticipation, Ted and George are careful to stress the importance of using proper eye protection.

Marlin Howard, a 10th grader, asks, “Why would it hurt your eyes?”

“The ultraviolet rays will burn the retinas in your eyes just like a sunburn does to your skin,” George replies. He cautions that even though the sun might not seem bright when obscured by the moon, ultraviolet rays can still severly harm the eyes.

With their eclipse glasses, the pupils at Farrell will not have to worry about that. There is one concern, however: clouds, “Hope for a nice, sunny day,” George said.

An Eclipse of the Sun can only take place at New Moon, and only if the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth. Under these conditions, the Moon's shadow sweeps across a portion of Earth's surface and an eclipse of the Sun is seen from that region. The Christmas eclipse will be visible from throughout the United States (except Alaska and Hawaii), and also from Canada, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and the North Atlantic.

From here in the Shenango Valley, almost 60% of the Sun's disk will be obscured by the body of the Moon on Christmas Day. The eclipse will begin at 10:55 AM EST; maximum coverage will be around 12:30 PM; and the eclipse will end shortly after 2:00 PM.

There are a few simple safety tips with regard to any solar eclipse. Although they may be simple, THEY MUST BE STRICTLY ADHERED TO in order to preserve your vision.

ECLIPSE SAFETY RULES

1. DO use specially made eclipse viewing glasses.
   
2. DO use number 14 welder's glass.
   
3. DO use ONLY solar filters SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED for viewing the Sun!
   
4. DO let yourself witness this spectacular event!

5. DO NOT put on the eclipse glasses and then look through binoculars or a telescope!
   
6. DO NOT try observing the eclipse by looking through home-made filters of any kind! This includes (but is not limited to) pop-tart wrapers, CD's, exposed film, smoked glass, mylar ballons, or old x-ray photos. These methods are UNSAFE!
   
7. DO NOT try stacking pieces of welder's glass so the number ratings add up to 14 (the rating scale is NOT LINEAR!). Two pieces of number 7 glass DO NOT give the same protection as a single piece of number 14!
   
8. DO NOT use any sort of item as a solar filter if it was NOT specifically DESIGNED for that use!

What Makes an Eclipse Happen?

Literally, solar means "of the Sun" and eclipse means "to overshadow or leave out". A solar eclipse is the overshadowing of the Sun - when the Moon, Sun and Earth reach a point in their orbits that allows the Moon to block the Sun from our view.

An eclipse of the Sun (or solar eclipse) can only occur at New Moon when the Moon passes between Earth and Sun. If the Moon's shadow happens to fall upon Earth's surface at that time, we see some portion of the Sun's disk covered or ‘eclipsed’ by the Moon.

Since New Moon occurs every 29 and a half days, you might think that we should have a solar eclipse about once a month. Unfortunately, this doesn't happen because the Moon's orbit around Earth is tilted 5 degrees to Earth's orbit around the Sun. As a result, the Moon's shadow usually misses Earth as it passes above or below our planet at New Moon.

At least twice a year, the geometry lines up just right so that some part of the Moon's shadow falls on Earth's surface and an eclipse of the Sun is seen from that rgion.

When we fall within only ‘part’ of the Moon's shadow we see a ‘ partial’ eclipse of the Sun. Partial eclipses are dangerous to look at because the un-eclipsed part of the Sun is still very bright. You must use special filters or eclipse glasses to safely watch a partial eclipse of the Sun.

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To see an animation of the December 25, 2000 eclipse click on the link below.
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NASA Animation of December 25, 2000 Partial Solar Eclipse

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Go to Ted Pedas — Index of News Articles

A solar eclipse will mark the day for those who dare to venture away from their newly opened presents, provided the weather cooperates.

A solar eclipse occurs when the new moon passes between the earth and the sun. The moon's shadow moves across part of the earth, blocking out the sun for a brief period.

At the eclipse's height locally, about 12:30p.m., almost 60 percent of the sun will be obscured, said astronomer Ted Pedas of Farrell.

“If it's clear skies, it will be very visible,” said Pedas, who organizes cruise ship tours to eclipse sites and is writing a book on eclipses.

The eclipse will begin at 10:55 a.m. and end at 2 p.m.

A full solar eclipse darkens the sky, leaving a ring of fire. This eclipse -- called a partial or annular eclipse -- won't be so dramatic.

“People will not really know what's going on unless they look,” said Pedas, director of the planetarium named after him at Farrell schools. “Even with the sun covered 40 percent, it is still very bright.”

And it could still damage the eyes of those who look directly at it. The only direct way to safely see the eclipse is by wearing special glasses that Pedas has made available to students and staff of Farrell schools and West Middlesex elementary schools, or welding glass with a rating of 14.

The glasses filter out ultraviolet and infrared light. Pedas didn't know of any other local sources for the glasses.

Indirect methods of viewing include pinhole cameras and using binoculars, telescopes or pinhole projectors to project the eclipse onto a flat surface.

The safest way is to punch a small hole in a piece of paper or cardboard and watch the image on another piece of white paper or cardboard.

Pedas promised that the indirect method will be a “wonderful way” to see the eclipse.

Some teachers incorporated the eclipse into classroom activities. Donna McGrath, West Middlesex elementary art teacher, is asking students who see the eclipse to draw what they see and bring the drawings to school for class discussion.

Lisa Kirila, who teaches fourth-grade math, science and social studies at Farrell, made a similar request of her students. She said student response has been eclipse-like.

“They were very excited,” she said. “The kindergartners and first-graders, their eyes were like huge saucers.”