Solar eclipse brings people to the library to watch and learn about the phenomenon
LANCASTER − Chris Petty apparently enjoyed watching Monday's solar eclipse and taking a smartphone photo of it in front of the Fairfield County District Library.
"It's great," he said. "I remember one, I think, back in the '60s when I was a little kid, we had a partial eclipse. This is the first time I've looked at it with these type of glasses. Last time we had to cut a hole in a piece of cardboard and do that. But I like this. It was worth waiting for."
The library gave out 3,000 pairs of eclipse glasses since April 1, director Becky Schaade said. She saved 200 for Monday and gave all of them out also. There were about 40 people or so who attended the library watch party. They could also watch a NASA live stream of the eclipse as it made its way north into Ohio.
While the temperature dropped some and it did get darker, the local area did not fall into total darkness. Instead, it resembled dusk or was even a little lighter at 3:13 p.m. at the strongest point of the event.
Kristian Page came to the watch party with her children. She had never witnessed an eclipse before, nor had she been to the local library before.
"I think it's pretty exciting," she said of the eclipse. "It's very exciting. It only happens so many years, so I definitely wanted to bring the family out. I thought it would be a good experience for them to come out and see it."
Before going outside to watch the eclipse Page and her children enjoyed the watch party on the library's third floor. The party featured space-themed snacks like Moon Pies, Sun Chips and Eclipse gum. The party also featured crafts and space tattoos for children.
The library hosted a watch party for a 2017 solar eclipse.
Schaade said the eclipse may spark interest in space, astronomy and science in children.
"Just learning what an eclipse is and understanding the shadow of the moon passing between the sun and the earth," she said. "I think it's really interesting. And even a lot of adults maybe don't understand that. So it's a great opportunity for people to learn."
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This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Crowd gathers at the downtown library to watch the solar eclipse
