QC library distributes solar-eclipse glasses
Rock Island Public Library locations will begin distribution of a limited supply of solar eclipse eye protection items starting Monday. A maximum of two eclipse glasses or viewer cards per family will be available while supplies last, a news release says.
Starting Monday, items will be available during regular library hours while supplies last at the Rock Island Downtown Library Reference Desk, 401 19th St., Rock Island Library Southwest Branch, 9010 Ridgewood Road, and Rock Island Library Watts-Midtown Branch, 2715 30th St.
The library will also distribute eclipse glasses while supplies last to attendees of the Astronomy Night program on April 4. The free event starts at 7:30 pm with a brief talk about eclipses by members of the Popular Astronomy Club, and then moves outside for night sky viewing through telescopes until 9 pm. The event is open to all ages.
A few glasses will be available at each location for distribution on Monday, April 8, the actual eclipse day. The partial eclipse begins in the Rock Island/Davenport area at 12:47 pm, and reaches its maximum at 2:03 pm. The eclipse ends at 3:18 p.m., for a total duration of two hours and 31 minutes. It is possible to take turns and share these free eye-protection supplies, the release says.
All Rock Island Public Library locations will show the NASA live stream on the afternoon of Monday, April 8, just in case local weather isn’t ideal for viewing the event. Members of the public may view the live stream in the library community rooms. Attendees who want to watch the event outside on library grounds may want to bring a lawn chair.
The entire Quad Cities area is outside the path of totality. Throughout a partial solar eclipse, there is no time when it is safe to look directly at the Sun without using a special-purpose solar filter that complies with the transmittance requirements of the ISO 12312-2 international standard.
The library’s solar eyeglass distribution was made possible via a grant from SEAL (Solar Eclipse Activities for Libraries) funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Solar card viewer supplies were distributed by the Illinois State Library and RAILS, through the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS.) All library-distributed items have been sourced from certified suppliers and meet the ISO 12312-2 international standard.
For more information about library events, visit here.
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