On October 14th, spectators gathered in Library Park to celebrate “Eclipse Day” with the Coronado Public Library. The space-themed event lasted for two hours, starting at 9 am. Even with the cloudy morning, viewers saw the best partial solar eclipse that California will see for the next twenty years.
This year’s annular eclipse was only a partial one for Coronado. A partial eclipse, according to the “Learn about the Eclipse” zine made by Tara Davies, happens when the moon moves between the Earth and the Sun, but the moon doesn’t fully cover the sun or line up perfectly so only a portion of the star is blocked by the moon. So, as Southern California viewers peered through their NASA-approved glasses, they saw a glowing crescent shape.
Teen librarian Tara Davies and other staff members were there to manage different activity booths. Coronado High School (CHS) Senior Olivia Chavez says, “I think that [library events are special] mostly because it’s just exposing people to opportunities they never would’ve known existed. Before I got here this morning to work this event, I didn’t even know this was going on. It’s cool to learn and teach people.”
At 9:30 am the eclipse’s maximum visibility was at 70%, which was the maximum for this year. Only a sliver of Sun was shining as the moon covered the rest. Librarians emphasized to viewers to only look at the eclipse with their glasses on.
Although some attendees opted to create their own eclipse viewers instead of taking the freebies. One of the craft stations gave people the opportunity to create their own viewing devices by using tin foil, cereal boxes, and masking tape.
Next to this station was the solar-inspired craft table, run by Olivia Chavez. Kids got to color planet cut-outs and create an eclipse simulator to take home with them after the event. Chavez says her favorite part of the event was “running the coloring booth for the kids.”
This event was one for the astronomical history books and a joyous one for Coronado residents. A total solar eclipse will pass the United States on April 8th of next year.
Find more October events happening each week at the Coronado Public Library for community members to join in on Halloween-themed fun, book clubs, and more.
