Photo: NASA
Lunar eclipses are cool. Meteor showers are fun. But both usually require staying up way past bedtime (which often results in cranky kids). Not so with next week's partial solar eclipse. The prime time to see it on Tuesday, March 8 will be after 5 p.m. Hawaii time, so you can slide it in after work and before dinner. The Bishop Museum is holding a viewing of the big event. We spoke with director of visitor experience and planetarium, and the go-to guy for anything galaxy related there, Mike Shanahan, for tips to attending the museum event and for watching the phenomenon at home.
1. Get Familiar With What You Will See.
Shanahan says people in Micronesia and parts of Indonesia will see a total solar eclipse, where the moon completely covers the sun. In the islands, we'll see a "deep partial eclipse", meaning a good chunk of the sun, about two-thirds Shanahan says, will be blocked by the moon.
The active time of the whole movement will be from about 4:33 p.m. until 6:33 p.m. Shanahan says the peak, when you'll see the "biggest bite" out of the sun will be around 5:37 p.m.
Read more about the science behind an eclipse from NASA.
2. Start Early.
If you can, get to Bishop Museum right when the viewing begins at 3 p.m. Though it is two and a half hours before the peak, you will have a chance to see the total eclipse on the museum's live webcast from Micronesia.
That should happen around 3:35 p.m. Hawaii time. If you can't get to Bishop Museum, or outside, that early, Shanahan still suggests arriving sooner rather than later for another reason. Clouds could block sightlines to the sun, so the longer people are there, the better the chances they'll be able to see the eclipse through a temporary break in the clouds.
And people attending Bishop Museum's viewing should also not arrive late. Although the eclipse will technically go until the sun sets around 6:37 p.m., the sun disappears behind the museum's buildings about 20 minutes earlier, around 6:10 p.m.
Photo: Bishop Museum
3. Protect Your Eyes.
There are only a few ways to view a solar eclipse safely. If you don't want to spend time trying to figure out pinhole projections or isolating the shadow of the eclipse, Shanahan suggests picking up the special viewing glasses at Bishop Museum's shop, priced at $2. The mylar of the glasses block out 99.9 percent of the sun's light, versus regular sunglasses which are just designed to reduce the sun's glare.
The Hawaiian Astronomical Society will have telescopes equipped with safe filters for people at the Bishop Museum's viewing.
4. Stick Around After the Eclipse.
Some sections of Bishop Museum will stay open past the usual 5 p.m. closing time. The Planetarium will be showing eclipse films every hour starting at 3 p.m. with the last starting at 6 p.m. The Science Adventure Center and Hawaiian Hall will remain open until 6:30 p.m.
Another astronomical highlight will also be showcased after the sun sets. On the night of the eclipse, Shanahan says Jupiter will be in opposition, which means it will be on the opposite side of the earth from the sun. The result is what he says is essentially a “full Jupiter”, the planet will be brighter than normal and will look especially impressive through telescopes. Weather permitting, the telescopes will stay up until about 8 p.m.
5. Want to See a Total Eclipse in Person? Book Your Trip Now.
August 21, 2017 a total solar eclipse will awe people through a narrow strip of the U.S. This will be the first to be visible on the continent since 1978. And already, Shanahan says hotels are filling up in the cities where you will be able to spot it: Salem and Corvalis in Oregon; Idaho Falls, Idaho; Nashville, Tennessee; Charleston, South Carolina.
“[Experts] have been getting ready for this eclipse since 1979,” Shanahan says. “People who saw it over in the Northwest thought ‘I'm not going to miss this one again.' All my colleagues in museums along the path are well along in what kind of programming they're going to do.”
On average, he says, a single point on earth is only in the path the phenomenon once every 360 years.
“People will never regret going out of the way to see at total solar eclipse. I'd recommend it to everyone, do what you can to see it.”
If you can't make it to the mainland next year, you can see it as a partial eclipse from the islands. The next total eclipse visible from the main Hawaiian Islands won't be until 2106 over the Big Island.
Bishop Museum's Solar Eclipse Viewing is Tuesday, March 8 from 3-6:30 p.m. The event is free with museum admission. General admission: $22.95 for adults, $14.95 for kids 4 to 12 years, kids under 3 are free. Kamaaina and Military admission: $14.95 for adults, $10.95 for kids 4 to 12 years, kids under 3 are free. Parking is $5. Call 847-3511 for more information or go to bishopmuseum.org/planetarium/solareclipse.htm
