This post was written by Claire Dorsett, a museum professional and former ASTC Community Science Dialogue & Deliberation Fellow. She is currently the Director of STEM Programming for Fab-in-a-Box at The Fab Foundation.
Giant cow wearing giant-cow-sized eclipse glasses at Ohio’s Geauga County Fair. (Image courtesy Claire Dorsett)
Excitement is ramping up around two stellar astronomical events—pun intended—close on the horizon: an annular solar eclipse on October 14, 2023 and a total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024.
An annular eclipse, also known as a “ring of fire,” occurs when the moon passes in front of the sun but is too distant in its elliptical orbit to cover it completely. For those in the viewing path, this results in a brilliant ring of sunlight remaining visible around the moon’s silhouette. Conversely, during a total solar eclipse, the moon is closer to Earth and appears larger, completely obscuring the sun. Observers within the path of totality are cast fully into the moon’s shadow, plunging temporarily from daylight into darkness.
On October 14, 2023, an annular solar eclipse will be visible to millions of people across the Western Hemisphere, including regions of Oregon, California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Texas, and Mexico.
Then, on April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will cast a 115-mile-wide path of totality across parts of Mexico, Canada, and thirteen (13) U.S. states: Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. And this is the time to catch it—the next total solar eclipse visible from North America isn’t until 2044!
Many ASTC members—as well as other museums, science centers, and cultural centers—are planning events to celebrate both celestial spectacles. We’ve rounded up a few:
The Rochester Museum and Science Center in New York is drumming up excitement with a special planetarium show that catapults viewers into space to learn how and why eclipses occur. They’re also touring three pairs of giant—six feet wide!—fully functional eclipse glasses around the state, even visiting the famous Great New York State Fair!
In Manchester, New Hampshire, SEE Science Center is hosting a public viewing tent at an upcoming Fall Fusion Festival to help guests safely view the partial annular eclipse. Attendees will be able to view projected images of the sun and engage with museum-sponsored, eclipse-themed displays and activities to explore relevant scientific principles.
The Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science in Miami, Florida is planning its own day of programming around the annular eclipse, featuring solar telescopes and solar viewers, hands-on space-themed activities, live demonstrations, and a special Planetarium show exploring the science and history of eclipses.
In Cleveland, Ohio, Great Lakes Science Center is taking over North Coast Harbor to host a three-day Total Eclipse Festival. The outdoor, family-friendly event will offer hands-on science activities throughout the weekend as well as a highly-anticipated—and totally free!—“Out of this World” concert from the Cleveland Orchestra, featuring music from “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “Star Wars,” and more, paired with stunning images from the Hubble Telescope, the International Space Station, and NASA’s photo archives. On April 8, 2024 during the eclipse itself, NASA experts will join Science Center staff to broadcast live from the event.
Some museums are also pursuing partnerships to extend their reach: In Dallas, Texas the Perot Museum of Science and Nature is collaborating with Carnegie Science to deliver public programming around both eclipses, including hands-on STEM activities, outdoor games, live music, and food trucks. Showcasing their shared commitment to science outreach and education, the two organizations intend to hand out a whopping 1 million eclipse glasses to North Texans across both events.
What eclipse-themed fun have you seen in the wild? What events is your museum planning? Let us know for a chance to be featured—and be sure to share with the Community of Practice!
Looking for funding to run an event of your own? Remember: we’re offering fifty (50) awards of $10,000 each to science-focused museums that fall in the path of totality for the April 8, 2024 total eclipse! Explore details here.