Mackenzie Wright
05 April 2024
Feature

WATCH: Excitement Builds for Solar Eclipse

The Frame took a visit to the McAuliffe Center at Framingham State University to learn more about Monday's celestial event.

We're now less than a week away from an exciting celestial event.

You've probably heard a lot of talk about the upcoming solar eclipse that will be making its way across North America on April 8--which is this upcoming Monday.  Although here in Framingham we won't be in the direct path of totality, we will still be able to enjoy an impressive partial eclipse in which the moon will cover about 93% of the sun.

If you find yourself with your eyes to the sky Monday afternoon, it's important that you observe the eclipse safely. To learn more about what that entails, The Frame took a visit to the McAuliffe Center at Framingham State University to speak with FSU's Planetarium and Media Technologies Manager Ross Barros-Smith.

In addition to a telescope, it's also important to note that viewing any part of the sun through a camera lens or binoculars without a special-purpose solar filter can cause instant and severe eye injury, according to NASA. When it comes to obtaining these safety materials, Barros-Smith recommends that you verify where you purchase them from, in order to avoid counterfeits.

The American Astronomical Society has a list of suppliers with safe solar viewers and filters; that list can be found by clicking here.

Further articles

We wanted to learn more about the locally-based Tasty Harvests, a project that started following the COVID-19 outbreak and has since become a staple of local gardening education.

Esta semana no The Frame: um projeto de lei que proíbe o uso de celulares em escolas públicas foi aprovado pelo Senado Estadual, planos para celebrar o Festival de Framingham em outubro estão em andamento e um olhar sobre a Tasty Harvests: um marco na educação sobre jardinagem na comunidade.

This week on The Frame: a bill that would ban phone usage in public schools is approved by the State Senate, plans to celebrate Framingham Fest in October are underway, and a look at Tasty Harvests: a staple of gardening education within the community.