A total solar eclipse is on the horizon and the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science is inviting the public to come to Jackson and witness the rare phenomenon.
On Monday, the eclipse will cross North America, passing over Mexico, the United States, and Canada. A total solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the sun and the earth, completely blocking the face of the sun. The sky will darken as if it were dawn or dusk, beginning at 12:33 p.m. with the eclipse hitting its peak at 1:52 p.m. before concluding by 3:11 p.m.
To celebrate, the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science is inviting folks to come out to a special event geared toward educating people about solar eclipses and providing a fun environment filled with science-related activities.
From 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., the museum in collaboration with NASA will have an inflatable planetarium and sun spotter solar telescopes on site. Protective glasses will come with tickets to the event so that attendees can safely witness the eclipse.
Other festivities taking place at the eclipse viewing will be:
- Pinhole viewer station with Belhaven University Math & STEM.
- Sun tracking with chalk (similar to documenting earliest eclipses, before photographs).
- Eclipse Soundscapes App Citizen Science (wildlife sounds to see how the eclipse affects wildlife).
- See how s’mores were made with a homemade solar oven
“We’re going to start seeing changes in animal behavior. The light’s going to look different. It’s going to be very notable. You’re going to be telling your grandchildren about it,” Mississippi Museum of Natural Science educator Nicole Smith said of the eclipse on Good Things with Rebecca Turner.
Tickets to the event must be purchased in advance.
Protective glasses are essential for those planning to look into the sky during the solar eclipse. Health experts warn that even slight exposure to the ultraviolet radiation put off by the sun can cause permanent damage to one’s eyes.
“Unfortunately, we saw patients with damage after the last eclipse a few years ago and, while we are always happy to have new patients, we hope to not have new patients due to the eclipse,” Dr. Kimberly Crowder with the University of Mississippi Medical Center said.
Monday’s total solar eclipse will be the first since 2017. The last one to occur before that was in 1979.
