By Susan Motander
A solar eclipse will occur on Monday August 21 from 9-10 a.m. The Monrovia Public Library will have special glasses for viewing the eclipse that will occur at 9:48 a.m. There will be special craft activities for children and snacks will be served.
A solar eclipse occurs when the moon moves between the sun and the earth, thus casting its shadow upon the earth. While we will not have a total eclipse in this area, it will be substantial in this area. The direct path of the shadow will stretch across the nation to Lincoln Beach, Ore. to Charleston, S.C. according to the National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA).
NASA has warned not to look at the eclipse without special glasses. The American Astronomical Society has a list of vendors for these glasses approved by NASA on its website at https://eclipse.aas.org/resources/solar-filters. They warn it may be too late to purchase these as many suppliers are running low.
You can also find a video tutorial explaining how to build your own solar eclipse viewer at https://www.exploratium.edu/eclipse/how-to-view-eclipse. The site also explains in detail the ramifications of looking at the eclipse without a proper device.
