Kidspace Museum becomes ground zero for eclipse-watchers, JPL specialists
Heads across Southern California tilted skyward Monday morning as thousands of eclipse-watchers spied a partially shrouded sun through highly coveted viewing glasses that made destinations like Pasadena’s Kidspace Museum ground zero for would-be astronomers.
A special event featuring telescope viewing sessions with specialists from La Cañada’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and a livestream display of the total solar eclipse in Nashville, along with a constellation of eclipse-themed events and projects, drew nearly 2,000 visitors to the children’s museum before noon.
Among them was Sierra Madre mom Cheryl Allen, who came with her daughters, sister Cathy Schulz and several neighborhood friends, despite the fact it was a school day.
“I thought this would be a great opportunity for them to see it,” Allen said of the eclipse, which reached about 62% occlusion, or coverage, from Pasadena. “It was pretty amazing.”
JPL public outreach specialist Heather Doyle showed children and parents the shadow of the eclipse on a white piece of paper through a telescope that had been repurposed into a pinhole viewer. The crowd used glasses, solar telescopes and improvised devices to catch a glimpse of the celestial event, which reportedly lasted from about 9:05 a.m. to 11:44 a.m, with maximum occlusion arriving at 10:21 a.m.
“The dark circle is the moon going into the bright circle, which is the sun. The moon is going in between us and the sun,” Doyle explained to the younger audience members, warning them, “Never look at the sun without your special glasses — unless you don’t like your eyeballs.”
Viewing glasses became a hot commodity leading up to Monday’s partial eclipse, with many locations running out of inventory. Kidspace chief executive Michael Shanklin said the museum ordered about 300 pairs for Monday’s special event, which science specialist Jenna Ervin had begun planning about a year and a half in advance. JPL brought additional pairs to pass out among families, all of whom were asked to share.
The scarcity of glasses made viewing parties like that at Kidspace hot-ticket events. Shanklin said there was a line out the door when the staff showed up this morning well in advance of the museum’s 9:30 a.m. opening.
“Our phones were ringing off the hook in the week leading up to the event — we knew we would be busy,” he said. “There’s been so much hype about the eclipse, this was the perfect platform for us to deliver some fun programs.”
In addition to make-your-own pinhole projectors and an inflatable planetarium showing different angles of the eclipse across America in real time, participants enjoyed all the regular activities Kidspace has to offer. But for 9-year-old Jocelyn Allen, the real draw Monday was the main event.
“I liked looking at the moon,” she said. “It was really cool.”
Jesus Garber, who traveled from Hollywood to watch the eclipse with 10-year-old son Atticus, agreed the Great American Eclipse was definitely not to be missed.
“This is history today,” he said.
Twitter: @SaraCardine
