It’s being called the Great American Eclipse because the Monday, Aug. 21, cosmic event when our moon aligns between the Earth and sun will only be visible from the United States. Those within a 71-mile-wide diagonal shadow stretching from Oregon to South Carolina will experience the rare solar eclipse at 100 percent in which total darkness will set in for just over two minutes. Northern Arizonans can anticipate a 70 percent eclipse starting at 9:40 a.m.
“In Flagstaff, the daylight might get a little dimmer, but it most likely won’t be very noticeable,” said Lowell Observatory Communication Manager Molly Baker.
To celebrate the celestial activity, Lowell is hosting the Great American Eclipse Viewing Party. “We will be opening early and presenting the Science Channel live stream of totality on the big screen in the Giclas Lecture Hall,” said Baker, as many local astronomers will be in Madras, Oregon, to study the solar activity. “We will also offer safe solar viewing through sun telescopes and special solar glasses, and Lowell educators will be available to explain what’s happening.”
Family friendly activities and crafts, like making sun catchers with solar beads that change color in the sun, will continue from 8 a.m. to noon. In addition, Wheely’s Cafe will be on site with coffee and pastries. Regular tours and programs will continue until the observatory closed at 10 p.m.
The last total solar eclipse visible from the continental United States occurred on Feb. 26, 1979. Astronomers say the experience of totality can be life-changing as observers may witness strikingly cooler temperatures, an eerie darkness, the appearance of stars and planets, and unusual behavior of animals that think night has fallen.
“I have seen one eclipse and I remember it very vividly,” recalls Lowell Observatory Director and solar researcher Jeff Hall, Ph.D. “It was the March 7, 1970, eclipse up the eastern seaboard. I was five at the time and living in south central Virginia, where I grew up. It wasn’t quite total, but it must have been 99 percent. I remember it getting dark and most significantly, it got cold and all the nocturnal animals started to chirp. It made a deep impression on a five-year-old. I haven’t seen one since, so I’m very much looking forward to this August.”
During a total eclipse, special features of the Sun make cameo appearances, including the Sun’s outer atmosphere called the corona, which can glow like a white or pink halo in the darkness and bizarre phenomena known as the “Diamond Ring” and “Baily’s Beads” that are not fully understood by scientists.
Lowell representatives say astronomical events, such as the eclipse, have resulted in more business at the observatory as the facility is ranked among Flagstaff’s top three tourism events.
“We offer a unique experience,” said Baker. “Where else can you take the whole family, from your eight-year-old child to your 80-year-old grandparent and have the whole family enjoy the trip? Where else can you peer through a telescope and have a professional astronomer explain to you what you’re seeing? Lowell Observatory is a unique place and a lot of people appreciate and enjoy that.”
In addition, the observatory reports an increase in membership in the past year, partly because of the eclipse. “Members can attend this event and others for free and people also value the fact that their membership provides admission discounts to more than 300 science centers across the nation,” she said. QCBN
By Bonnie Stevens, QCBN
For non-members, admission to the Great American Eclipse Viewing Party is $15 for adults and $8 for children ages five to 17. Discounts are available for seniors and college students. Kids under five get in free.
For more information, visit lowell.edu/event/great-american-eclipse/?instance_id=564.
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