San Diego – San Diego’s Balboa Park Fleet Science Center was at the center of a celestial spectacle, hosting an annular eclipse viewing party on Satuday. This unique event offered an extraordinary opportunity for local skywatchers to witness the magic of the cosmos. The event took place with an 8 a.m. kickoff time.
To observe the full annular eclipse, one had to be within the path of totality, a band that extended from Oregon down through New Mexico. San Diego was just outside this path, providing an opportunity to witness a partial eclipse. Fleet Science Center CEO and President Dr. Steven Snyder explained, “Here in San Diego, we’re not quite in the right location; what we’re going to see is about 70% of the Sun covered by the moon as it shifts in front of the sun.”
The most exciting moments of the eclipse occurred between 8:45 and 9:45 a.m., filling the sky with wonder and amazement. The eclipse concluded at 10:52 a.m. as the Moon departed from the Sun’s edge.
The Fleet Science Center spared no effort to ensure attendees had a comprehensive understanding of the eclipse event. Their resident astronomer, Lisa Will, Ph.D., along with additional local astronomy and eclipse experts, were present to answer questions and engage in astronomical discussions. The event also featured hands-on demonstration stations led by Fleet education professionals.
Regarding what the Science Center offered, Dr. Snyder shared, “The amateur astronomer association is here with their telescopes to talk to people… We are building boxes where you can use pinhole cameras to basically view your own Eclipse viewing material with special glasses that you need to look directly at the eclipse. We’ll have a live NASA feed in the building as well. It really takes a lot of planning to get all this, but we want to engage thousands of people in looking at this amazing event.”
In addition to eclipse viewing, the Fleet Science Center offered attendees an opportunity to enhance their experience. The Fleet galleries opened an hour early at 9 a.m. and featured special eclipse programming throughout the day. This included a special presentation of the Fleet’s popular “The Sky Tonight,” eclipse-themed activities in Studio X, creative makerspace demonstrations throughout the building, and a live feed of the eclipse in the Fleet’s Lecture Hall. Standard admission rates applied for entry into the Fleet galleries.
A critical point to remember, as emphasized by the Fleet Science Center, is that special equipment is essential to safely observe an eclipse. Looking directly at the Sun during a partial solar eclipse can cause permanent eye damage. To safely view the eclipse, telescopes and binoculars can be used to project images of the Sun onto a flat surface, similar to a pinhole camera. Special Eclipse Shade glasses were available for purchase from the Fleet’s North Star Science Store.
The Fleet Science Center’s annular eclipse viewing event exemplified their dedication to providing an unforgettable astronomical experience to the public, ensuring that all attendees could safely enjoy this incredible natural phenomenon.
Article by Hispanos Unidos Editing Team