Have total fun during total eclipse
On Aug. 21, a total eclipse of the sun will cross the country in a 70mile-wide “path of totality” from Oregon to South Carolina. At points inside that path, day will turn to dusk for about two minutes, and, if skies are clear, you’ll be able to see planets and stars.
Outside that path, the disc of the sun will only be partially blocked by the moon, and so the effects won’t be nearly as dramatic. In Pittsburgh, up to 81 percent of the sun will appear to be covered in a partial eclipse, a phenomenon safely viewed only with the proper eyewear or viewing devices.
The place to be is inside the path. But if you can’t be, there are plenty of events here to make this rare event memorable. (The last total solar eclipse visible anywhere in the mainland U.S. — barely — was in 1979, the last one to be visible from coast to coast was in 1918, and the next one visible in the U.S. is on April 8, 2024, when totality will be as close as Erie.)
The local hot spot will be Carnegie Science Center on the North Shore, which is going all out with activities from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. .
The partial eclipse is to start just
after 1:10 p.m., with the maximum sun coverage happening just after 2:35 p.m., and lasting for about 2 minutes. It ends just after 3:55 p.m.
With admission, Science Center guests can safely view it on equipment including a solar telescope. They can also watch live video feeds of the total eclipse in other places in the Science Stage, with commentary by center experts. There’ll even be a chance to use a solar telescope to take a photo with your mobile phone.
For an additional $5 ($3 for members), guests can get reserved seats in Buhl Planetarium for live feeds with commentary plus other shows and demonstrations, and those tickets come with a set of eclipse glasses.
The center stresses that you cannot view the eclipse without proper solar-safe viewing glasses. Its museum store earlier this month sold out of glasses, but you might be able to find them at some retailers and online. (The American Astronomical Society advises buying only from its “reputable vendors.”)
Other local organizations, from libraries to at least one winery, are holding viewing parties and providing guests with glasses. The Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh on the North Side is holding an “Eclipse Viewing Celebration” from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Aug. 21. Guests will gather in front not just to watch directly through glasses, but also to hear eclipse folktales from around the world. In the museum’s Makeshop, guests can make their own pinhole projector to indirectly view the eclipse.
There’s also an “Eclipse Over WQED” viewing party at WQED Multimedia in Oakland starting at 1 p.m. Each registration ( at eventbrite.com/e/eclipseover- wqed- tickets36418715358) comes with a pair of eclipse glasses. The event starts inside with a live stream in the Fred Rogers Studio, then as the eclipse nears, guests and their glasses will move outside, says spokesman George Hazimanolis, who notes, “As the moon and sun nearly align overhead, we’ll all have a moment to reflect on the city [and planet] we call home.” Plus, at 9 p.m. that night, the public TV station will air “Nova: Eclipse Over America,” a special broadcast that will feature views of the solar eclipse from around the country. Saint Vincent College in Latrobe also is hosting a public viewing — from 1 to 4 p.m. in the entrance plaza of the Sis and Herman Dupre Science Pavilion. John J. Smetanka says guests will be able to use eclipse glasses and look at projected views, too, and if the weather’s bad, the event will move into the college’s observatory and Angelo J. Taiani Planetarium.
Mr. Smetanka has been
giving talks at area libraries, many of which are joining libraries around the country in hosting viewing events. Some are really running with it.
For example, Latrobe’s Adams Memorial Library’s party, from 1:30 to 3 p.m., will include Starburst, Milky Way and Mars Bars candy as well as iced tea brewed by the sun. Guests bring their own eclipse glasses, or they can use one of the pinhole viewers made that morning at a “Eclipse STEM Session for Kids” (but you have to register for that, by calling 724-539-1972). Delmont Public Library’s party, with STEM stations, is from 1:30 to 3 p.m. at Newhouse Park (register by calling 724-468-5329). Other libraries in Westmoreland and surrounding counties are getting in on the fun and education, too. The STAR Library Network — with support from the Moore Foundation, Google, NASA, the Research Corp. and the National Science Foundation — has distributed more than 2 million eclipse glasses to 7,000 libraries. In Allegheny County, at
Carnegie Library in Oakland from 1 to 3 p.m. that day in the children’s section, guests can make an eclipsethemed craft and a limited number of eclipse glasses will be distributed to children, whom library staff will lead in a viewing outside.
The Springdale Free Public Library is holding its Total Eclipse Party with crafts and snacks — at the Rachel Carson Homestead (register by calling 724-274-9729). Mt. Lebanon Library’s 1 to 4 p.m. viewing party will include live feeds on a big screen indoors and, weather permitting, a safe-for-solarviewing telescope provided by the Friends of the Zeiss (friendsofthezeiss.org).
Other libraries holding events include Bellevue’s Andrew Bayne Memorial Library. It’s warming up for its viewing party with programs including a Sun and Moon Storytime on Aug. 17 and a Sun, Moon and Stars Baby Lapsit on Aug. 18.
Check with your local library and do so early, because some events are filling up, such as the L.L. Bean Solar Eclipse Paddle at North Park (although Outdoor Discovery School’s Macy Bethge points out that people with their own kayaks may come for free).
Almost immediately filled were the free activities led by Allegheny County park rangers that day at South Park and Hartwood Acres in Hampton/Indiana townships.
You don’t have to register for the viewing party at Frick Environmental Center in Squirrel Hill (showclix.com/ event/solar-eclipse-2017) or Greene County’s Ryerson Station State Park (events.dcnr.pa.gov/event/solar_ Other events are continuing to pop up. Monongahela’s Ripepi Winery is hosting a party with eclipse glasses and wine specials: facebook.com/events/ 1200460843433663. West
Homestead is hosting a viewing party with lunch and other activities at Calhoun Community Park.
The Girl Scouts are holding parties the day before — in Greensburg and Shippenville — to prepare for the big event; registered attendees will get glasses and a Great American Eclipse patch (gswpa.org).
Painting With a Twist is doing a “Pittsburgh Eclipse” class from 7 to 9 p.m. Aug. 21 at its Pittsburgh West location in Robinson, and at other times and days at other ones ($35, http://www.paintingwithatwist.com/events/ viewevent.aspx?eventid= or 412-787-7928). Attendees will be given stepbyinstructions to re-create a painting by Leah Keilman specifically for the eclipse, says party coordinator Dave Britt, who notes, “Even though we love our Pittsburgh paintings here, the amazing skyline silhouette will be secondary to the gorgeous sun burning bright inthe sky.”
If you’re holding an eclipse-related event in Western Pennsylvania, contact this reporter and we’ll add it to this story online.