NASA Ambassador Talks in Newport About Total Solar Eclipse on Oregon Coast

Published 01/26/2017 at 4:59 AM PDT
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Newport, Oregon) – Sometimes you can't say “it ain't rocket science,” because it really is this time.

Deep space meets the Oregon coast on Thursday, February 9, when NASA ambassador Greg Cermak comes to Newport's Hatfield Marine Science Center for a talk on the spectacular solar eclipse coming to the region in August. Cermak, formerly with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Washington State University, will also talk about the ten-year anniversary of NASA's STEREO mission and other topics of solar science.

The talk starts at 5 p.m. at the Hatfield's auditorium, and then moves to the other side of Yaquina Bay for an informal question and answer session that starts at 6:30 p.m. This happens at the Rogue Ale’s South Beach waterfront location, Brewer’s on the Bay, in the downstairs event room, The entire event is free.

Cermak is retired a software engineer and technical trainer with more than thirty years' experience developing high-performance engineering, scientific, and analytical software applications - a career which included a stint with NASA. He's now a Solar Ambassador for the space agency, giving science talks around the country. He has also taught astrobiology at Washington State University in Vancouver, Washington.

The total solar eclipse coming in August has special significance for the Oregon coast and the rest of the state.

Happening on August 21, Oregon will be in that center line for that stellar event, with some parts of the valley and the coast getting the longest total coverage in the west. It's just north of Newport where the totality will first hit American shores, happening around Moolack Beach, Depoe Bay and Lincoln Beach. The latter two areas will also get the longest exposure to total darkness with one minute and 58 seconds of eclipse time.

Newport and Lincoln City will also get to see the moon totally blocking the sun, as well as Salem, Dallas, Albany, Corvallis, Lebanon, Philomath, McMinnville, and Woodburn.

The actual center line of the eclipse is at Depoe Bay. Each of the towns in Oregon seeing totality will vary in duration, based on their distance from that line.

The STEREO mission stands for Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory and involved two satellites sent up in 2006 to observe the sun. It has studied various parts of the sun in great detail, including capturing images of many coronal mass ejections.

The Hatfield is at 2030 SE Marine Science Dr., Newport, Oregon. Call 541-867-0234. Newport Hotels for this event - Where to eat - Map and Virtual Tour. More about Newport and the eclipse below:

More About Newport Lodging.....

More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining.....

 

 

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