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Remember the partial eclipse in 2017? We all gleefully ran outside with homemade “eclipse viewers” to check it out. It was a fun time, for sure, but our homemade viewers weren’t so great.

This year, you don’t have to make a homemade viewer because the local library has free solar eclipse glasses for you (while supplies last, of course)! All Eastern Oklahoma Library System branches have the free glasses, and most are also hosting special programs on Saturday for the day’s big event.

At Muskogee Public Library (MPL), you can take the whole family over to do crafts between 10 a.m. and noon. Children will be able to create a facemask that attaches to the eclipse glasses and helps to better protect their eyes from the sun’s rays.

MPL is also partnering with Muskogee Parks and Recreation—the Butterfly Papilion will be open 12-1:30 p.m. so you can go over there after you finish your crafts and enjoy the view from their beautiful gardens. You can even make a day of it and visit the MPL StoryWalk® located in the arboretum behind the Papilion when you’re done viewing the eclipse.

Tahlequah Public Library has a drop-in science craft from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. All ages can do an art project using special beads that change color when exposed to ultraviolet light. It’s a great way to learn about UV light and its effects. Jim Lucas Checotah Public Library, Eufaula Memorial Library, Q.B. Boydstun Public Library in Fort Gibson, and Hulbert Community Library all have crafts planned Saturday, too.
At many of our libraries, you can also make a protective case for your glasses so you can store them and be ready for the total solar eclipse coming on April 8. Visit eols.org for your library’s activity calendar.

 

NASA says Saturday’s event is called an “annular solar eclipse.” The moon is at its furthest point from Earth in this case, and for those that see the complete eclipse, it will make the sun look like a bright ring. Here in northeastern Oklahoma, we’ll only be able to see the moon partially block the sun.
NASA offers these tips for safe viewing Saturday (even with the eclipse-viewing glasses):
  • Always inspect your eclipse glasses for damage before you use them.
  • Always supervise children using the glasses.
  • If you usually wear eyeglasses, you should keep them on.
  • Do not look at the eclipse through a regular camera, telescope, binoculars or other optical device—even while wearing your eclipse-viewing glasses. The solar rays are amplified through the lens of the device, and will cause serious injury to your eyes.

Pick up your free eclipse-viewing glasses at your local library during regular library hours, or join us at one of our 15 branches on Saturday to get your pair, enjoy some fun activities, and watch the eclipse with us.