LAKE COUNTY >> On Monday, a total solar eclipse will cross the United States from coast to coast, a natural phenomenon that will leave millions of people in impermanent darkness.
For the first time since 1979, North America will experience one of the biggest astronomical events, making it the “most photographed, most shared, most tweeted event in human history,” according to University of Redlands professor and astronomer Tyler Nordgren.
NASA describes the solar eclipse as a celestial event that occurs when “the moon passes between the sun and the Earth and blocks all or part of the sun for up to about three hours, from beginning to end, as viewed from a given location.”
Monday’s eclipse, when the moon blocks the sun in its totality, will last about two minutes and 40 seconds.
The eclipse’s path of totality will stretch from Lincoln Beach, Oregon and move east toward Charleston, South Carolina. Observers just outside that path will only see a partial solar eclipse — when the moon covers part of the sun’s disk.
Lake County falls under partial viewing but 84 percent coverage of the sun is expected — still a significant count of obscurity to the protected eye — and proper protection is a must.
First contact visible in the county is estimated around 9:02 a.m. and the eclipse will reach its maximum by 10:15 a.m.
Organizations across Lake have already set up events for locals to enjoy the total solar eclipse in a safe and family-friendly manner. Here are some events happening near you:
Upper Lake
The Aurora RV Park & Marina will host a breakfast barbeque with access to canoes, kayaks, and free jet ski rides on the lake and small beach all throughout the Eclipse’s end estimated at 11:36 a.m.
An exhibit that uses the lake to show the vastness of the solar system, with a scale model, will also be available. Guests will also be able to picnic and enjoy the children’s play items at the Lake County’s Keeling Park, adjacent to the Park and Marina on Lakeshore Boulevard. Eclipse glasses will be provided.
2985 Lakeshore Blvd, Upper Lake
Clearlake
Lake County Campus of Woodland Community College will be hosting a viewing on Monday from 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Guests are invited to join the college in front of the administration building. Safety-approved glasses and pin hole viewers to share will be available for the viewing.
15880 Dam Rd Ext, Clearlake,
Kelseyville
Friends of Taylor Observatory’s Eduardo Alatorre will host a viewing at no charge from 9 a.m. to noon at the Taylor Observatory. Eclipse glasses, donated by NASA and Google will be provided on a first-come-first-serve basis. Solar telescopes and viewers pointed at the sun to safely view the eclipse will be set up to use. Inside the Observatory’s classroom, a NASA lifestream from Idaho, where a total eclipse is expected, will be showing.
About 60 percent of Lake County children will have the opportunity to partake in the astronomical phenomenon from their school campuses thanks to the Lake County Office of Education (LCOE). Nearly 5,000 eclipse glasses were donated by Astronomers Without Borders to LCOE to give to all 29 county elementary schools and alternative education programs. Glasses arrived at school offices in bundles which included also included safety disclaimers, NASA eclipse website resources, and safety tips.
Education Specialist Jenna Rodgers shared that classrooms will partake in a friendly hashtag contest by sharing on social media how each classroom learns about the solar eclipse using the hashtag #lakeclipse. “This is a fun way to get kids to learn about the solar eclipse,” Rodgers said. “We will be giving away three Galileo Telescopes for the winners’ classrooms.” One Galileoscope will be awarded to a Facebook post, the second to a Twitter post, and the third to an Instagram post. Each telescope is valued at $50.
With all the events planned around the nation-wide event, it is important to remember safety precautions. NASA says the only safe way to look directly at the uneclipsed sun is through using eclipse glasses or hand-held solar viewers. They add that “homemade filters or ordinary sunglasses, even very dark ones, are not safe for looking at the sun; they transmit thousands of times too much sunlight.”
Friends of Taylor Observatory President Bill Haddon advises the public not to add anything in front of eclipse glasses to help magnify or clarify the image. “Doing this, like using binoculars, while wearing eclipse glasses can burn through the glasses and hurt your eyes.”
