Nearly 100 people gathered Saturday at the Montana Learning Center for “Beyond the Big Sky – Eclipse Edition” to watch a rare solar eclipse.
However, due to a press conference, someone forgot to tell Kumo what the plans were for the day.
For more than 6.6 million people from Oregon to Texas, the moon passed directly in front of the sun. It lasted from 9:11 a.m., peaked at 10:27 a.m., and was scheduled to end at 11:50 a.m. This was the first solar eclipse of this type to occur in the western United States since 2012. And it is known as an annular solar eclipse. or a “ring of fire” solar eclipse, as a thin band of the sun remains visible around the moon.
Those who attended the event, held on the banks of the Canyon Ferry Reservoir, watched in the crisp morning air through special glasses and telescopes provided, or through images projected on television screens connected to the large state. I bravely participated to catch a glimpse of it. Art telescope in the learning center.
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“It’s pretty cool,” Bozeman resident Christina Myers said. She wore special eclipse glasses for the show. She knew about the observation because her children attended an astronomy camp offered by the learning center, she said.
Ryan Hannahoe, executive director of the Montana Learning Center, operated the 5-inch H-Alpha telescope, and members of the Helena Astronomical Society set up the telescope and answered questions from attendees about how to view the eclipse. Special glasses and other materials were also distributed. Hannahoe said the event cost $25 for adults and $15 for children, but 100 tickets were sold out.
And he taught people how to view the solar eclipse using saltine crackers.
Julie Walker, president of the Helena Astronomical Society, said the moon is expected to block 70 to 75 percent of the sun’s rays in Montana.
On April 8, 2024, a true total solar eclipse will sweep across the United States from Texas to Maine, when the moon completely covers the sun and a plasma “corona” appears around the veiled star. .
According to the Associated Press, a new ring of fire will not be visible in the United States until 2039, when Alaska will be the only state in its direct path.
John Dilliard of the Helena Astronomical Society was adjusting his telescope to get an early look.
“I’m really excited, but I’m disappointed that the fog is so high,” he said. “But you can still see the sun.”
Still, he said it was a fun day and a chance to “experience something you don’t get to do many times in your lifetime.”
Hannahoe said later in the day that the event went well.
“We just wanted to get people excited about science and interested in space,” he said, adding that the weather was nice and people were able to see the eclipse. “Unfortunately it was cloudy, but that’s Montana for you.”
Assistant Editor Phil Drake can be reached at 406-231-9021.