Polson library prepares to host eclipse event
The North Lake County Public Library is ready for day to turn into night Monday as a solar eclipse makes its way across Montana and the United States.
Beginning in Montana at 10:16 a.m., the sky will begin to darken as the moon makes its way between the earth and the sun, casting its shadow on our planet below. The event will reach its peak in Polson at 11:31 a.m. as the moon will obscure just under 89 percent of the sun’s surface.
The North Lake County Public Library has been eagerly awaiting the event and will be marking the occasion with an “eclipse day block party.”
Beginning at 10 a.m. and ending at 1 p.m., the Library will be offering a hot dog lunch, with all proceeds going to the Family Summer Reading Program. The event will also feature a photo booth, music, crafts and educational activities for children.
With the help of the Mission Valley Eye Center, Ronan Eye Clinic and NASA, the library will also be able to offer approximately 500 pairs of special glasses, which make it safe to view the eclipse.
The eclipse was brought to the Library’s attention by Youth Services Director, Kendra Mullison, and Assistant Director Abbi Dooley had the idea to host the block party. The staff of the library has been hard at work to make the event possible.
“I’m a space nut, so I stay abreast of upcoming solar phenomenon and I alerted the library to the fact that there is going to be an eclipse,” Mullison said. “We are hoping at least 100 people show up for lunch, but we have enough glasses for 500 people.”
The library stresses that anyone using glasses not obtained from them should make sure those glasses meet safety specifications before viewing the sun. All proper glasses will be marked “CE” certified, and meet the requirements for ISO 12312-2:2015. Welding goggles may be used, but only if they are rated 14 or above.
“It is not safe to look at the sun at any point in Montana during the eclipse without proper eye protection,” Mullison said. “Those in the path of totality have, in theory, about 2.5 minutes when they could look at the eclipse without glasses, but that is not possible here in Polson.”
The eclipse will be total across 14 states and is the first total solar eclipse visible in the United States since Feb. 26, 1979. It is the first total solar eclipse visible from coast to coast in the US since June 8, 1918.
Monday’s event is one of several space-themed events the North Lake County Public Library has hosted this summer, after becoming one of just 75 libraries around the country to receive the NASA at My Library grant. The grant is made possible through the support of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Science Mission Directorate as part of its STEM Activation program. The selected libraries receive NASA STEM Facilitation Kits, NASA STEM Backpacks for circulation, financial resources, training, and partnership opportunities.
“It’s not a money-rich grant, but it is a resource-rich grant,” Mullison said. “They do provide a little bit of money for collection development. So, that means more books and resources for us to offer in the library.”
Mullison says the events have been well-received in Polson and there has even been interest in the possibility of forming an astronomy club in the area.