Mon 8/21 @ 2:30:56
With a rare solar eclipse — when the moon passes in front of the sun — happening this week, there is a plethora of places around northeast Ohio to go for viewing and education about this phenomenon, which will reach its peak at 2:30:56pm.
The Great Lakes Science Center will be celebrating the eclipse and accompanying phenomena all weekend. Go to our separate article for details.
In University Circle, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History will, of course, be open for viewing the eclipse in its Ralph Mueller Observatory from 1-4pm. “We’ll observe the sun by projecting an image onto a screen through the Museum’s 3½ inch finder telescope (the Museum’s 10½ inch refractor telescope yields a field of view that is far too narrow to encompass the entire solar disk and will not be employed for this event),” says the museum. “We will also have safe viewing glasses on hand for visitors’ use.”
Out in Cleveland’s western suburbs, the Burrell Observatory at Baldwin Wallace University in Berea will be open for guided viewing from 1-4pm with a filtered telescope for safe viewing. An image of he eclipse will also be projected on a screen by another telescope for safe viewing.
BW professor of astronomy and director of the Burrell Observatory Gary Kader “We have special filters and equipment at the observatory for safely viewing the sun. It is not safe to look at the sun without proper filters under any conditions. Looking at the sun with an improperly filtered telescope or binoculars could result in immediate blindness.”
observatory-great-american-eclipse
The Cuyahoga Astronomical Association will be stationing itself at the west end of Edgewater Park’s lower level parking lot on Monday afternoon from 12:30-4pm. Join them — it’s free, no reservations required. There will be telescopes set up and viewing glasses on loan, as well as family activities sponsored by the Cleveland Metroparks.
Two areas of the Summit Metroparks will have celebrations from 1:30-3:30pm (peak eclipse will take place about 2:30) — the F.A. Seiberling Nature Realm Visitors Center and the Liberty Park Nature Center. Drop in any time during those hours to learn from a naturalist and astronomy volunteers visitors about what’s going on and engage in hands-on activities. There’ll be special equipment to view the eclipse, as well as viewing glasses for sale. The glasses are also for sale in the Nature Realm’s gift shop.
And the Geauga Park District’s Observatory Park will be open from noon-4pm with instructions on safe viewing methods and hands-on activities such as making a model eclipse.
All of these organizations warn that if the weather is cloudy and/or rainy, eclipse-watchers will be disappointed and have to wait for the next eclipse — April 8, 2024. Let’s hope for clear skies!
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Berea, OH 44017
8701 Lake Shore Blvd, Cleveland, OH 44108-1069
Akron, OH 44313
Twinsburg, OH 44087
Montville, OH 44064