On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will cross North America, passing over Mexico, United States and Canada. While parts of Oklahoma will be in the path of totality, the OKC metro will experience coverage of about 93.9%.
Waylon Troyer, planetarium director at Science Museum Oklahoma, shared some kid-friendly ways your family can safely experience the partial (or total) solar eclipse – “one of the rarest events in the cosmos.”
“It may seem like we have eclipses often on Earth, but these events do not happen on every planet, or even in every star system,” Troyer said. “A lot of details have to line up perfectly for a total solar eclipse to happen, and we have the opportunity to experience that in April. The next time you have this chance in Oklahoma won’t be until 2045!”
In the days or hours leading up to the eclipse, recreate your own “eclipse” using a beach ball, a golf ball and a single source of light, such as a flashlight. Hold the beach ball and golf ball about one foot apart. Then, shine the flashlight on the golf ball.
“You should see the golf ball’s shadow casting on the beach-ball-sized ‘Earth,'” Troyer explained. “As you spin the beach ball slowly or move the golf ball around the ‘Earth,’ you can see how the path of the shadow changes, creating your own ‘path of totality.'”
If you don’t have eclipse glasses or an indirect viewer, there are still fun and strange ways to experience an eclipse. During an eclipse, the shadows act a little differently. Take a look a shadows that are cast by the leaves on a tree and you should see a cloud of tiny crescent shapes on the ground. You can create this yourself using a strainer or a slotted spoon, anything that has small holes for the sunlight to travel through.
Find eclipse viewing events in the OKC metro and beyond on our searchable calendar.
Dos & Don’t of viewing an eclipse safely:
Do:
- Use your eclipse glasses or indirect viewer to observe the eclipse.
- Inspect your eclipse glasses or handheld viewer before use. If torn, scratched, or otherwise damaged, discard the device.
- Listen, feel and see how your surroundings change during an eclipse.
Don’t:
- Don’t look directly at the sun without the right equipment.
- Don’t use a telescope or binoculars to look at the eclipse without the correct filters.
Where to find eclipse glasses locally
- Beginning March 15, Pioneer Libraries will have a limited supply of solar viewing glasses. One per family while supplies last.
- The Science Shop at Science Museum Oklahoma has sets of eclipse glasses available for sale. A four-pack is $7.96; classroom sets start at $39.80.
- Proper glasses are available for free at each of the Metropolitan Library System branches while supplies last.
Helpful sites:
National Weather Service – eclipse forecast
Make a Solar Eclipse Viewer
