Observing the Gravitational Deflection of Light During the 2017 Solar Eclipse

Planetarium

During our presentation, we will discuss our initial preparations for observing the gravitational lensing effects that will be visible during the Solar Eclipse that will occur on August 21st of this year. Our research last summer focused on determining the celestial position of the Sun during the eclipse, imaging the star field – at night – that the Sun will occupy during the eclipse, and determining whether low-cost ‘off-the-shelf’ telescope, camera, and software resources are capable of observing the lensing effect. We will first - introduce the history behind this project, second - discuss our initial calculations regarding the angular deflection of star light by the Sun’s gravity, and third - discuss the feasibility of this experiment with the equipment we have. Lastly, we will show a simulation of the solar eclipse using the Timmons Planetarium.