Barlow SkyWatch: Prep for Partial Solar Eclipse!
Mind Bending | April 27, 2017
By Alan J Peche, Director, Barlow Planetarium
Check out Barlow Planetarium’s tips and information below about the upcoming Partial Solar Eclipse, August 21, 2017.
My family has some interesting ties to solar eclipses!
My father remembers one when he worked in the fields as a teenager – the partial solar eclipse on August 31, 1932. My brother during the partial solar eclipse of July 20, 1963 had a different experience. In the lead up to the day of the eclipse the public was warned not to ever look at a partially eclipsed sun since it could cause blindness. My brother, in his 7-year old brain (I, his physicist/mathematician/astronomer little bother was not going to be born for another 17+ months!) thought you would go blind if you were even outside during the eclipse! He spent the day in the basement “protecting his vision” and missed the rare spectacle.
It is very true – it is never safe to look at the Sun During Solar Eclipse!
Each and every person’s eye has a small magnifying glass that, if you look at the Sun, will concentrate all the Sun’s energy onto a single portion of your retina (the part of your eye that sends images to your brain via the optic nerve) and damage it. It is very important to experience the awesomeness of a solar eclipse – here in Wisconsin 80% of the diameter and 80% of the Sun’s disk will be covered.
GET READY FOR THE ECLIPSE WITH THE BARLOW
To make sure as many people as possible can experience this summer’s partial solar eclipse the Barlow is offering 3 special programs: Astronomy Discover Day (for Girl Scouts and their families on May 13; Astronomy Explorer Day (for Cub Scouts/WEBELOS and their families on May 13); and Astronomy Discovery Day (for families) on June 3. The programs will run from 9am to 12pm, and will have astronomy activities, an eclipse presentation and a solar system planetarium show. Each participant will receive a pair of special solar eclipse glasses to use to safely view the eclipse on August 21. Fee for the programs is $16/child and $12/adult.
If you’re an “older” kid or an adult, the Barlow will be doing special Wisconsin Skies: Solar Eclipse programs at the end of each Barlow Family Astronomy Night on June 3, July 1 and July 29 at 10:30pm. All seats for the Wisconsin Skies program will be $8/person and will include a pair of the special solar eclipse viewing glasses.
Can’t make it to one of our events?
The eclipse glasses will be available during normal box office hours before August 21, 2017 for just $4/pair. Between 11:52am and 2:37pm on Monday, August 21 the Moon is going to be blocking the Sun with maximum eclipse occurring at 1:16 pm. Please be safe use all the proper precautions for viewing this amazing event.
