Thursday, August 17, 2017

Extra Word Sudoku Puzzles (Eclipse!) for Thursday, 8/17/2017


The United States during the coming Aug. 21, 2017 total solar eclipse, with the umbra (black oval), penumbra (concentric shaded ovals), and path of totality (red).credit: Goddard Science Visualization Studio, NASA, from https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/eclipse-2017-still-image-animation 
(View the animation at https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4515)


This coming Monday, Aug. 21, The United States will experience a total eclipse. Visit https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse.html and http://www.americaneclipse2017.org/ to see interactive graphics and a great deal more explanation.

My home will see something like 99.2% totality. But I’ll be in the middle of the path of totality for my day job, so I’ll experience the full 100%. Astronomy aficionados say the difference between 99% and 100% is…infinity!

With something close to 100 million Americans within a day’s drive of the path of totality, there will be LOTS of people who think of this as a “game day,” like a college football game or a major league baseball game—just pop in that morning, see the celestial spectacle, and then head back home right afterwards.

BAD IDEA!

With the huge crowds expected to attempt the same bad planning, you could instead experience a cosmic traffic jam.

Instead: Plan. All across the U.S., you’ll hear your state transportation departments echoing the same advice:
Arrive early; stay put; leave late.
Treat this 3-hour event like a 3-DAY event.

In the remaining days before Monday’s eclipse, I’ll present you with a few extra puzzles based on words that are either related to the word ECLIPSE or synonyms of it.

RANKED
6x6 Hidden Word Sudoku Puzzle
Each row, column and 2x3 rectangle contains these letters exactly once
The hidden word spells down the diagonal

SHOE UNIT
8x8 Hidden Word Sudoku Puzzle
Each row, column and 2x4 rectangle contains these letters exactly once
The hidden word spells down the diagonal

Solutions first thing in the morning.

Thanks,
--Dave

No comments: