The excitement level ran high Saturday afternoon at the Faulkner County Library in Conway as more than 100 people gathered for the seminar Countdown to Eclipse. Young and old alike were there to learn more about what is being called the Great American Eclipse.
Kaye Clanton of Conway presented the program. Clanton introduced herself as a “science nerd … and proud of it.” She is a retired science teacher with 38 years to her credit, the majority of those years with the Conway School District.
The Great American Eclipse, of course, is the total solar eclipse that will sweep across the United States on Monday. Clanton said this is the first time a total solar eclipse will entirely cross the United States in 99 years (from the Pacific to the Atlantic oceans).
“The last total solar eclipse viewed from the contiguous United States was on Feb. 26, 1979, whose path passed through the northwestern U.S. states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, and Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec,” according to the NASA website.
“The shadow of the moon passes over the sun to cause the solar eclipse,” Clanton said. “Solar eclipses can only occur when the moon is in ‘new moon’ phase when the moon is between the sun and Earth.”
She said the entire North American continent will experience a partial solar eclipse lasting between two and three hours, but those along a narrow path from Oregon to South Carolina will experience a total solar eclipse. Only 14 states are in that narrow 70-mile-wide corridor called the “path of totality” — Arkansas is not among those states.
However, according to the website www.arkansassky.com, Arkansans will experience from 95 percent totality in the far northeastern areas of the state to less than 85 percent totality in the southwestern parts of the state. Conway residents are expected to be able to experience 90 percent totality.
“That will be awesome,” Clanton said. “Here in Conway, the beginning of the partial phase is 11:47 a.m. and the end of the partial phase is 2:45 p.m. The maximum coverage of the sun by the moon’s shadow in Conway is approximately 90 percent and will occur at 1:17 p.m.
“Do not be ‘blinded by the light,’” Clanton said, referencing a song of the 1970s. “Remember to wear the eclipse glasses during the entire partial eclipse here in Conway.
“Different rules apply when you are in the path of totality,” she said. “You can observe the totality eclipsed sun with your unaided eyes. The times for before- and after-partial phases require eclipse glasses.”
Those who attended Saturday’s program at the library, and a second program Clanton presented Tuesday night, were able to get a pair of the special eclipse glasses from the library.
Some local retailers have been selling eclipse glasses. Those still seeking glasses may visit the American Astronomical Society’s website, eclipse.aas.org, for a list of possible vendors; click on “eye safety.”
Clanton emphasized that the solar-eclipse glasses must have the ISO logo and this label “ISO 12312-2.”
Clanton also warns: “No binoculars, either.”
“Do not use binoculars to view the eclipse, or a camera or a telescope. Those all would need to have special filters on them,” she said.
“Weather permitting, the UCA Observatory in the Lewis Science Center will be open from 11:47 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.
for solar-eclipse viewing through the university telescope, equipped with a solar filter,” said Scott Austin, associate professor in the University of Central Arkansas Department of Physics and Astronomy. “The UCA chapter of the Society of Physics Students will also be on had to distribute eclipse-view glasses.”
Austin said that if the weather is cloudy, the Griffin Planetarium at UCA will be open from 11:47 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. for simulations and videos of the eclipse.
“Later that evening, the Griffin Planetarium will be having a Night Under the Stars between 5 and 8 p.m.,” Austin said. “We will be recapping the solar eclipse and debuting the latest full-dome presentation. Tickets for the Night Under the Stars are available at uca.edu/alumni.”
For more information on the UCA events, call (501) 459-5900.
Clanton said there is no particular place in Conway that is better for viewing the eclipse.
“Your own backyard … or front yard … is perfect,” she said. “Since it is at midday, all you have to do is look up, … wearing the special glasses, of course.”
Clanton suggests “it is best to have pets indoors for the eclipse, … just to be on the safe side.”
Clanton said people without the solar-eclipse glasses may utilize “indirect” viewing methods.
“Indirect viewing using pinhole projection boxes is a good alternative,” Clanton said. Clanton gives two websites for making pinhole projection boxes: earthsky.org/human-world/how-to-make-a-pinhole-projector-for-eclipse-watching and www.theskyscrapers.org/build-a-shoebox-eclipse-viewer.
“Another good way to show the eclipse to a small group of people is by using binoculars with only one objective [bigger end of instrument] lens and projecting the image of the sun onto a dark-colored surface, such as a mat board,” Clanton said. “You can find more information at www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/how-to-look-at-the-sun.”
Nancy Allen, adult services and reference librarian at the Faulkner County Library, invites the public to an Eclipse Watch Party at 11:30 a.m. Monday at the library, 1900 Tyler St. in Conway.
“Bring your eclipse glasses and a sack lunch, and we will watch the eclipse out back in the garden,” Allen said. She also said a few pair of the eclipse glasses may be available on Monday.
Allen said Friends of the Library purchased 500 pairs of the eclipse glasses for Allen to use in this program.
“Eclipses are cool. … Nerdy science stuff is cool,” Allen said, laughing.
“We have been anticipating this for several months and looking into the kinds of programming that would fit our needs and budget,” she said. “I felt it was important for people to have some understanding of the science behind the event and for them also to have a safe way to view the eclipse, and again, an understanding of why they need to protect their vision.”
For more information on the watch party at the Faulkner County Library, call (501) 327-7482 or email Allen at nancy@fcl.org.
Clanton said central-Arkansas residents will have more opportunities to view total solar eclipses in the not-too-distant future.
“Remember that we can see a total eclipse of the sun here in central Arkansas on April 8, 2024, and on Aug. 12, 2045,” she said. “This is a rare occurrence … to have two total solar eclipses happen in a 21-year period of time. Make your plans now to see these.”
Clanton said she and her husband, Dan, who is a musician and songwriter, will drive as close to Makanda, Illinois, as they can to view the total eclipse.
“I have never seen a total solar eclipse,” said Kaye Clanton, 69. “I am excited to be able to see the corona of the sun with my own eyes and share this special moment with my husband. I bet that Dan Clanton finds inspiration from this experience to write a new song about the eclipse.”
Kaye Clanton will teach a 10-week astronomy class from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Sept. 6 through Nov. 8, at First United Methodist Church in Conway. The class is free and open to the public. For more information, call the church at (501) 329-3801.