Petit Jean State Park events lead to solar eclipse viewing
PETIT JEAN STATE PARK — Pretty much everything you’ve always wanted to know about the sun — and maybe a little bit more — will be revealed Friday through Sunday during Petit Jean State Park’s Solar Eclipse Weekend.
The nine free events can serve as warmup acts for the rare eclipse itself, scheduled to peak around 91 percent of totality early Monday afternoon at the popular park 70 miles northwest of Little Rock. Staff interpreters will conduct the programs.
Cloud Watching, 4-4:30 p.m. Friday at Petit Jean Gravesite Overlook. This session will explain “why we have the sun to thank for the different kinds of clouds we can see over Petit Jean State Park.” It will conclude with “an enjoyable cloud watching session.”
Native American Stargazing, 9:30-10 p.m. Friday at Palisades Overlook. The program’s interpreter will point out “some Native American constellations and learn the stories and myths behind them.” Participants are asked to bring a flashlight.
History of the Sun, 9-9:30 a.m. Saturday in the Amphitheater. Human fascination with the sun has spanned history, “from the times of Greek philosophy to the Scientific Revolution.” A park interpreter will explain “what these people from different time periods have thought and argued about the sun.”
Native American Myths of the Sun, 2-2:30 p.m. Saturday at Mather Lodge. The area’s prehistoric cultures “worshipped the sun above all else.” This program will explore “how the sun influenced their way of life, their leadership and even their games.”
The Sun: Our Nearest Star, 7:30-8 p.m. Saturday at Palisades Overlook. This sunset session’s topics will include “the planetary movement that gives us the seasons of the year on planet Earth.”
August Constellations, 9-9:30 a.m. Sunday at Mather Lodge. The star constellations that can be seen along the Milky Way in August will be mapped out.
Pinhole Camera, 11-11:30 a.m. Sunday in the Amphitheater. In this program, designed as a hands-on activity before viewing Monday’s eclipse, participants will make a pinhole camera to use for safe watching. All supplies will be provided.
Solar Powered Reptiles, 4-4:30 p.m. Sunday at Mather Lodge. The point of this event is learning “how the reptiles of Petit Jean State Park use solar energy and maybe even get a chance to meet one in person.”
What Makes a Sunset, 7:45-8:15 p.m. Sunday at CCC Overlook on Red Bluff Drive. There’s no guarantee that the setting sun will be visible on Sunday. But whether or not it is, a park interpreter will detail “what makes one sunset better than another.”
On Monday, the Petit Jean Gravesite Overlook will be the 9 a.m. location for a session labeled Eclipses 101. An interpreter will talk about the sun, the Earth, the moon and how their movements intertwine.
Then the park’s picnic area will be the center of action starting at 11 for Petit Jean’s partial eclipse, due to peak at 1:18 p.m. Clay Sherrod, an astronomer at Arkansas Sky Observatory, will be on hand along with park staff. They’ll answer questions and help visitors lacking protective glasses to build pinhole cameras.
And everyone will keep fingers crossed for a cloudless sky.