Calendar of Events
April 8: Experience the solar eclipse
On April 8, a total solar eclipse will cross North America, passing over Mexico, the United States and Canada. While parts of Oklahoma will be in the path of totality, the OKC metro will experience coverage of about 93.9 percent at approximately 1:45 p.m. Waylon Troyer, planetarium director at Science Museum Oklahoma, shared some kid-friendly ways your family can safely experience the partial (or total) solar eclipse, “one of the rarest events in the cosmos.” “It may seem like we have eclipses often on Earth, but these events do not happen on every planet, or even in every star system,” said Troyer. “A lot of details have to line up perfectly for a total solar eclipse to happen, and we have the opportunity to experience that in April. The next time you have this chance in Oklahoma won’t be until 2045!” In the days leading up to the eclipse, create your own “eclipse” using a beach ball, a golf ball and a single source of light, such as a flashlight. Hold the beach ball and golf ball about one foot apart. Then, shine the flashlight on the golf ball. “You should see the golf ball’s shadow casting on the beach-ball-sized ‘Earth,’” explained Troyer. “As you spin the beach ball slowly or move the golf ball around the ‘Earth,’ you can see how the path of the shadow changes, creating your own ‘path of totality.’” If you don’t have eclipse glasses or an indirect viewer, there are still fun (and unique!) ways to experience an eclipse. During an eclipse, shadows act a little differently. Take a look at shadows cast
Dos & Don’ts of viewing an eclipse safely Do: • Use eclipse glasses or an indirect viewer to observe the eclipse. • Inspect your eclipse glasses or handheld viewer before use. If torn, scratched or otherwise damaged, discard the device. • Listen, feel and see how your surroundings change during an eclipse. Don’t: • Don’t look directly at the sun without the right equipment. • Don’t use a telescope or binoculars to look at the eclipse without the correct filters. Find more solar eclipse tips, including where to find eclipse glasses locally and how to create your own indirect viewer, here.
by the leaves on a tree and you should see a cloud of tiny crescent shapes on the ground. You can create this yourself using a strainer, slotted spoon or anything that has small holes for the sunlight to travel through.
38 METROFAMILYMAGAZINE.COM / MAR-APR 2024
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