June 2017 - EASTERN OREGON PARENT - 13
Total eclipse of the sun coming to Eastern Oregon!
By SUZANNE KENNEDY
Did you know the Great Ameri-
can Solar Eclipse is coming August
21? It first hits land at the Oregon
coast and crosses the entire coun-
try. This is a once-in-a-lifetime op-
portunity to share the coolest thing
ever with your family.
Total solar eclipses in populated
areas are rare events. The moon
just happens to be at the right
distance from the Earth to appear
to be the same size as the much
larger sun. Most eclipses are partial
— the moon only covers part of the
sun. Total eclipses actually happen
about every 18 months, however,
they are usually inaccessible to
people. Most of the planet is cov-
ered in water, so it isn’t often that
an eclipse occurs over a populated
area. Experts say that this sum-
mer’s event will be the first eclipse
whose totality path (when the sun
is totally covered) lies completely
within the continental U.S. — since
1776!
The path of totality runs across
Oregon and then continues through
Idaho, Wyoming, down through the
Midwest, and then on to Kentucky,
Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina,
and finally South Carolina. Alert
your friends and family. Eastern
Oregon is in its direct path.
Don’t wait until
the last minute to
plan your viewing.
Our side of the state
promises the best
weather in the path
of the eclipse and
is predicted to be
inundated with visi-
tors. Upwards of a
million people, from
in-state and around
the world, will be
looking for a spot in
the “totality” path.
That means full
hotels, packed RV
parks, and some se-
rious traffic. Oregon
State Park reserva-
tions sold out in un-
der an hour. Thank-
fully, those of us in Eastern Oregon
don’t have to go far.
Keep in mind that the total
eclipse will only last about two
minutes, so you’ll want to incorpo-
rate some activities around it. Plan
some quality time with neighbors,
families, and friends. Two major
viewing parties are being orga-
nized in Oregon, one in Salem at
the fairgrounds and one in Madras.
See www.omsi.edu/eclipse-2017
and www.oregonsolarfest.com for
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details.
Darkness should hit our side of
the state between 10 and 11 a.m.
You can see it in its totality by driv-
ing down to John Day or Baker City.
But right here in Pendleton you
will still be able to see an eclipse of
more than 95 percent. Pendleton
Parks and Rec is planning a bus
tour down and back the same day,
with a possible stop at the John Day
Fossil Beds. The bus leaves at 7 a.m.
and will return by 5 p.m. It’s limited
to 47 people, ages 14 and up and
costs $50 per person.
If you do plan on viewing the
eclipse (and why wouldn’t you —
even I’m not that lazy), remember
never to look directly at the sun at
any point without eye protection.
You can make a special viewing
box, or you can just purchase some
certified eclipse glasses for super
cheap on the internet. You can also
“project” the eclipse by pointing
the large end of your binoculars at
the sun and focus-
ing the small end
onto the ground.
To get your
children interested
in astronomy, go
to stardate.org/
teachers/activities
and check out the
easy lessons they’ve
made available for
free download.
They are fun, easy,
and separated
into grade levels
and ages. Lessons
include a making
model of the night
sky, a sundial, and
a solar cooker that
cooks marshmal-
lows. You will seri-
ously be the coolest parents ever.
For fun, you might download
one of the International Space
Station phone apps. It alerts you
when the Space Station is directly
overhead. About 250 miles above
the earth and the size of a football
field, the Space Station can be the
third brightest object in the night
sky depending on the angle, so not
too tough to spot. Some of the apps
even show you what the Space Sta-
tion is seeing on the earth.
Planning and actually execut-
ing science type activities with my
family has never been my forte. I’m
confident, though, that this sum-
mer’s big event will be stress free
and easy to pull off. I hope it’s the
same for you!
________
Suzanne Kennedy is a former middle
school teacher who lives in Pend-
leton with her husband and three
children.