Eclipse Fever

Path of Eclipse in MissouriOn Monday, August 21, Mid-Missouri will experience the most anticipated two and a half minutes of the century, as a total solar eclipse engulfs the region. All local hotel rooms have been booked for months, and events are taking place throughout the area to celebrate our plunge into the dark.

Though totality will last for only a couple of minutes, the whole eclipse, start to finish, will take about three hours. The moon will begin its journey across the sun at 11:45 a.m., eclipsing it entirely at around 1:12 p.m., and finishing its business at 2:40.

“Where can I learn more about the eclipse?” you might ask. At your library, of course. DBRL will hold events at all three buildings, featuring Dr. Angela Speck, a professor of astrophysics.

The Eclipse of a Generation — Don’t Get Left in the Dark” is scheduled for our Southern Boone County branch Monday, July 24, 2:00-3:00 p.m. The Columbia Public Library will host the program later that same evening in the Friends Room from 6:30-7:30 p.m. The final session will take place at our Callaway County building Tuesday, July 25, 2:00-3:00 p.m. No registration is required for this program that will explore why solar eclipses happen and how to observe them safely. The library will give away free viewing glasses to program attendees.

If you cannot attend one of our eclipse-related programs, free eclipse glasses are also available at the following locations in Columbia:
Broadway Brewery — 816 E. Broadway
Columbia Visitors and Convention Bureau — 300 S Providence Rd.
Columbia City Hall — 701 E Broadway

For information on more area events, both preceding and on the day of the eclipse, check with the Columbia Convention and Visitors Center or Show Me Totality COMO.

Since no library blog post is complete without a book recommendation or two, here are three recent titles that discuss the science and cultural history of solar eclipses: Mask of the Sun book cover

In the Shadow of the Moon” by Anthony F. Aveni
Mask of the Sun” by John Dvorak
Sun Moon Earth” by Tyler E. Nordgren

Happy reading and viewing!

 

Image credit: Michael Zeiler , Total Solar Eclipse Over Missouri, via Wikimedia Commons (license)