Eclipse Chaser: Science in the Moon's Shadow
Series
Scientists in the Field
by
Ilima Loomis
Edition
Hardcover edition
Publisher
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Imprint
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
ISBN
9781328770967
POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE AREAS
None
On August 21, 2017, much of America stood still and looked up as a wide swath of the country experienced totality—a full solar eclipse. Even in areas outside the path of totality, people watched in awe as the moon cast its shadow on the sun. For most, this was simply a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Not so for Shadia Habbal, who travels the world in search of solar eclipses in order to study the sun’s corona. Solar wind and storms originating in the corona can have big effects on our planet. They can disrupt technology, expose aircraft to radiation, and even influence global climate change. In the months leading up to the 2017 eclipse, Shadia assembles a team of scientists to set up camp with her in Mitchell, Oregon. Years earlier, a long, expensive trip to Indonesia to study an eclipse failed when the skies remained too cloudy to see it. Shadia is determined to have the 2017 eclipse be a success. Will the computers fail? Will smoke from nearby fires change direction? Will the cloudy skies clear in time?
Glossary. Selected sources. Index. Full-color photographs, maps, and diagrams.
POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE AREAS
None
Details
Format
Page Count
80
Trim Size
9" x 11"
Dewey
523.7/8
AR
6.8: points 2
Lexile
980L
Genre
Nonfic
Scholastic Reading Counts
0
JLG Release
Feb 2020
Book Genres
Narrative Nonfiction
Topics
Shadia Rifai Habbal. Total solar eclipses in the United States. Solar eclipses. Astrophysicists. Space study. Science. Astronomy and astronomers.
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Praise & Reviews
Starred or favorable reviews have been received from these periodicals:
School Library Journal
Praise & Reviews
School Library Journal
Loomis chronicles the work of astronomer and solar physicist Shadia Habbal. Habbal and her team traveled around the world to study solar eclipses. The purpose of this research was to learn more about the sun, how it works, how the solar system operates, and the forces that control its movement. Readers learn this “risky research” is expensive, challenging, and involves venturing to remote and sometimes inaccessible locations. While the text describes several places where Habbal conducted her studies, it focuses mainly on the Great American Eclipse, which occurred on August 21, 2017. The text and photographs capture the thrill, tension, and drama of this event. Loomis vividly describes the beginning of the eclipse: “For a few seconds, the sun is a thin white circle, sparkling with bright points of light. Then the false night falls, the sky turns a deep blue-black, and a ghostly white halo glows out of the darkness.” Cowan’s photographs not only provide amazing views of a total eclipse, but they also reveal the strong collaboration among the team members, the elaborate equipment that they used, the hard work involved, and the excitement they felt when another part of the mystery of the sun was revealed. The awe and wonder of scientific research shine. An excellent addition to the “Scientists in the Field” series. A fine choice for demonstrating the actual work of scientists and the importance of their research.
School Library Journal
Gr 5-7-Loomis chronicles the work of astronomer and solar physicist Shadia Habbal. Habbal and her team traveled around the world to study solar eclipses. The purpose of this research was to learn more about the sun, how it works, how the solar system operates, and the forces that control its movement. Readers learn this "risky research" is expensive, challenging, and involves venturing to remote and sometimes inaccessible locations. While the text describes several places where Habbal conducted her studies, it focuses mainly on the Great American Eclipse, which occurred on August 21, 2017. The text and photographs capture the thrill, tension, and drama of this event. Loomis vividly describes the beginning of the eclipse: "For a few seconds, the sun is a thin white circle, sparkling with bright points of light. Then the false night falls, the sky turns a deep blue-black, and a ghostly white halo glows out of the darkness." Cowan's photographs not only provide amazing views of a total eclipse, but they also reveal the strong collaboration among the team members, the elaborate equipment that they used, the hard work involved, and the excitement they felt when another part of the mystery of the sun was revealed. The awe and wonder of scientific research shine. VERDICT An excellent addition to the "Scientists in the Field" series. A fine choice for demonstrating the actual work of scientists and the importance of their research.-Myra Zarnowski, City University of New York
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