On Monday, August 21, 2017, all of North America will be treated to an eclipse of the sun. Here in Maine, we will see a partial solar eclipse, where the moon covers about 60% of the sun’s disk. The eclipse will begin here at about 1:30 p.m., reaching its peak at about 2:45, and ending at about 4:00. We have a variety of events scheduled to help you explore astronomy and plan for this rare and exciting phenomenon!
Are you traveling during the eclipse? Use this handy tool to see exactly how much of the eclipse you will see depending on where you are!
Eclipse Viewing Glasses
Thomas Memorial Library is fortunate to have received 1,000 sets of official solar viewing glasses from the Space Science Institute through the Moore Foundation Grant. We have free glasses on our Solar Eclipse display table in the lobby, and will be distributing them at our Intro to the Eclipse program on Saturday, August 19 at and our Eclipse Party on Monday, August 21 (see details below.) The glasses are going fast! We have set aside some of them so we can be sure they are available are our events. If you find there are none on our display table, that means we have run out, but you will be able to get a pair on August 19 or August 21.
Eclipse Safety
According to a recent press release, NASA recommends that people who plan to view the eclipse should check the safety authenticity of viewing glasses to ensure they meet basic proper safety viewing standards. The Astronomical Society of America (AAS) also has an excellent web page dedicated to this subject.
- Have certification information with a designated ISO 12312-2 international standard
- Have the manufacturer’s name and address printed somewhere on the product
- Not be used if they are older than three years, or have scratched or wrinkled lense
- Not use homemade filters
- Ordinary sunglasses — even very dark ones — should not be used as a replacement for eclipse viewing glasses or handheld solar viewers
Special Astronomy and Eclipse Events
Download our event flyer here, or click on the links below to see what’s coming up!
No events scheduled for today!Other Resources and Fun Stuff