Glasses On: U.S. Space & Rocket Center hosts eclipse viewing
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — Cloudy skies were a concern for many hoping to see the eclipse in the Tennessee Valley on Monday.
However, the weather did not stop people from grabbing their eclipse glasses and trying to see what they could.
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“Eclipses have always been inspiring,” said U.S. Space & Rocket Center Museum Education Director Joseph Vick. “They’ve always marked this sense of wonder and excitement.”
Those who chose to watch from the U.S. Space and Rocket Center (USSRC) saw the sun shrink to a small crescent through several breaks in the clouds.
“It’s starting to form a smiley face,” said Amelia Porter, a young eclipse viewer.
Porter said she and her mom call crescent moons “Cheshire cat” moons, so she said she was looking at a Cheshire cat sun during Monday’s eclipse.
In addition to handing out many eclipse glasses, the educators at USSRC set up special solar telescopes for people to view the eclipse. Peak coverage took place just after 2 p.m., drawing almost everyone outside into the Rocket Park.
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USSRC and students from Alabama A&M took the opportunity to educate visitors about the eclipse, with hands-on activities for families.
Monday’s solar eclipse was particularly special because everyone in the continental U.S. was able to see at least part of it.
“As a collective nation, we get to look up and see a little bit of an eclipse and I think that’s a unifying thing for us here in the United States,” Vick said.
In the Tennessee Valley, we saw about 90% partiality.
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