The big day is tomorrow and the weather forecast looks great! Although it is smokey right now we can only hope it clears for the morning! I want to cover a few last things before the event.
How can I ensure my children are safe?
I discussed this in my previous FAQ post but I believe it needs to be reiterated. Do not look at the Sun without protection. If you are using eclipse glasses do not peek around the sides of them. If you have children using them they must be supervised. In fact, if you are going to let your children use eclipse glasses I would hold them onto their face to ensure no slippage or peeking. If you are sharing one pair among your family keep an eye on your children so they do not look at the Sun while you are enjoying the view. Views with the glasses should be limited to one minute at a time. Make sure you read the directions printed on the back of the glasses. Damage to the eyes from the Sun may occur painlessly and you may not notice until the next day when you have irreversible harm. This is why a lot of schools keep the students inside as they can not monitor them all simultaneously.
I hate to instill fear but the seriousness of this is very important.
For some comic relief here is a cute video that explains the basics of the eclipse at an elementary school level.
What else should I bring to watch the eclipse?
Here are some suggestions for items that would be good to have while viewing the eclipse.
- Direct solar viewing eye protection
- Regular sunglasses (for when you are not directly viewing the Sun)
- Sun hat
- Sunscreen
- Bug spray
- Water
- Chairs
The Sun will still be as dangerous as it normally is so the same basic precautions should be taken. The Moon should not be used as a substitute for sunscreen! Do not use unfiltered cameras on the Sun unless you want to get a terrible photo along with a broken camera.
What are people doing to watch the eclipse?
DIY
I have a friend who built a large projector to safely view the Sun. An image of his apparatus is shown below.
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| Solar Projector |
The Sun enters the top of the tube through a 3mm hole made in tin foil. The light from the Sun is projected onto a white plate at the bottom of the tube. This is shown below.
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| Projection of the Sun |
Drive and Camp
A lot of people I know are actually heading down to the zone of totality. Idaho seems to be the top spot for most Calgarians. However, there are a few heading to Oregon and Nebraska. I hope the sky is clear for all of them. Hotels are sold out all along the route and have actually been re-booking previous reservations for more than 10x the original value. As of yesterday there were still camping spots left but, as for traffic, it may be a dice roll if you choose to leave today.
Around Calgary
There are a few events happening around town. The University of Calgary will have an eclipse centre setup outside of the engineering building on Monday morning.
The Telus Spark is hosting telescopes and eclipse viewer crafts.
I will setup a station at Olympic Plaza with an 8" filtered telescope, some eclipse glasses to borrow and I might try my hand at making a projector! I do not yet know exactly where we will be at Olympic Plaza as it depends on buildings and trees but will post as soon as I know tomorrow morning.
Nothing
Some people just don't care or don't know. That makes it our job to tell everyone how great it will be and that it won't happen again for another 6 years!
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