Whether you are an umbraphile or looking for something to do with your friends, join us on April 8th outside of the Bello Center. We will have a limited supply of glasses provided by a grant through SEAL (Solar Eclipse Activities for Libraries)!
How do I keep myself safe?
As magnificent as the solar eclipse will be, safety comes first! Viewing the sun during an eclipse without the proper safety precautions can lead to permanent eye damage.
You may be asking, if the Sun is obscured by <90% then why isn’t it safe to look at it?
The answer lies in the fact that there’s still direct optical (visible) light from the Sun, but also the higher energy ultraviolet light is still present. Think about the summer, when you use sun block to protect your skin from solar ultraviolet light. Our eyes still need this protection!
Solar Eclipse Safety & FAQ
Solar Eclipse Eye Safety - American Academy of Ophthalmology (aao.org)
How the Sun Can Burn Your Retina in Seconds (Video) - American Academy of Ophthalmology
Total Solar Eclipse FAQ
How the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse Is Different than the 2017 Eclipse- NASA
What will I see? Does location matter?
You may be wondering what’s your closest shot at catching a front row seat? Well, the best way would be in a community that is on the path of totality, like Buffalo NY, Burlington VT and Lancaster NH, just to name a few.
FOR THOSE OF US IN SMITHFIELD, WE CAN EXPICT THE TOTAL CLOSEST ECLIPSE TO BE AROUND 3:30 PM WITH PREDICTED COVERAGE OF 91.4%
Check out these links to visualize the eclipse
Eyes on the Solar System: 2024 Total Solar Eclipse- NASA
explore historical cloud coverage data- Harvard, Cosmic data stories
Dine’ (Navajo) Indigenous Cultural Practices and Stories for an Eclipse
We’ve included some information about the Dine’ cultural practices surrounding eclipses below, by exploring other perspectives, we can gain a deeper appreciation for the ways in which different societies interpret and interact with the natural world:
Indigenous Eclipse Teachings (Video)- Rachel Tso
Navajo (Diné) Knowledge of the Cosmos- Exploratorium
Reading List - On Display in the Library
Check out the books we have on display about the science, cultural and historical significance of eclipses:
In the Shadow of the Moon: The Science, Magic and Mystery of Solar Eclipses by Anthony F Aveni
Babylon to Voyager and Beyond: A History of Planetary Astronomy by David Leverington
Cosmology for the Curious by Delia Perlov and Alex Vilenkin
Early Man and the Cosmos by Eva Handingham
Echoes of the Ancient Skies by E.C Krupp
Hindsight and Popular Astronomy by Alan B Whiting
In the Beginning: After COBE and Before the Big Bang by John Gribbin
Night has a Thousand Eyes: A Naked-eye Guide to the sky, its Science and Lore by Arthur R Upgren
Night watch: A Practical Guide to Viewing the Universe by Terence Dickinson
The Complete Astrological Handbook for the Twenty-first Century by Anistasia R. Miller and Jared M. Brown
The Edge of the Sky: All You Need to Know About the All-There-Is by Roberto Trotta
The New Cosmos: Answering Astronomy's Big Questions by David J Eicher
The Story of Astronomy by Lloyd Motz and Jefferson Hane Weaver
The Universe and its Origins: From Ancient Myth to Present Reality and Fantasy by S Fred Singer
Totality: The great American Eclipses of 2017 and 2024 by Mark Littman and Fred Espenak
Transit of Venus: 1631 to the Present by Nick Lomb
Welcome to the Universe : An Astrophysical Tour by Neil deGrasse Tyson
As a reminder, all the books in the exhibit cases are available for circulation, so if you see something you would like to read, just ask a library staff member for assistance and we will happily check it out for you!
Eclipses in Pop Culture
To celebrate this significant event, we've compiled a list of a few tv shows and films that feature eclipses and other celestial phenomena:
TV SHOWS
"The Simpsons," Episode: "Marge vs. the Monorail" (1993), Directed by Rich Moore
"Sailor Moon Crystal" (Season 3, 2015), Directed by Munehisa Sakai
MOVIES
Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
Back to the Future Part II (1989)
Berserk (1997–1998)
The Wild Thornberrys Movie (2002)
Apocalypto (2006)
Dragonball Evolution (2009)
Melancholia (2011)
Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
Help us spread the word about this historical solar eclipse by sharing our social media post and blog post.