Degenstein Community Library celebrates solar eclipse despite weather | CPT PPP Coverage

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SUNBURY — The stormclouds may have hidden the rare “ring of fire” solar eclipse from the Valley on Saturday, but Degenstein Community Library in Sunbury still celebrated.

The library, in partnership with the Bloomsburg Children’s Museum and Discovery Space, held a Solar Eclipse Program from 11:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. with crafts and activities at 40 S. Fifth St. The plan was to go outside with special glasses to watch the eclipse, but since the weather blocked the event, a live broadcast of the news played on the television.

“They do a nice job putting together all the programs,” said Mary Grace Rearden, of Sunbury, who came with her 4-year-old daughter, Pearl. “It’s too bad it was raining, but it was still very educational.”

Asked what she learned on Saturday, Pearl said, “Everything.”

According to the Associated Press, the eclipse carved out a swath about 130 miles wide, starting in the North Pacific and entering the U.S. over Oregon around 8 a.m. PDT Saturday. It culminated in the ring of fire a little over an hour later. From Oregon, the eclipse headed downward across Nevada, Utah, New Mexico and Texas, encompassing slivers of Idaho, California, Arizona and Colorado, before exiting into the Gulf of Mexico at Corpus Christi. It took less than an hour for the flaming halo to traverse the U.S.

As the moon lined up precisely between Earth and the sun, it blotted out all but the sun’s outer rim. A bright, blazing border appeared around the moon for as much as five minutes, wowing skygazers along a narrow path stretching from Oregon to Brazil, according to The Associated Press.

The entire eclipse — from the moment the moon starts to obscure the sun until it’s back to normal — lasted 2 1/2 to three hours at any given spot. The ring of fire portion lasted from three to five minutes, depending on location, according to The Associated Press.

Christa Metz, of Mt. Pleasant Mills, and her daughter Carletta, 9, said they were “a little disappointed” about the weather but they enjoyed the activities.

“We appreciate all the library does,” said Christa Metz. “Having the Children’s Museum and Discovery Space here was a great idea. It was a lot of fun and very engaging.”

Carletta said she learned that Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars are much closer to the Sun when compared to the outer eight planets.

Melissa Rowse, the director of the library, said she is grateful for the event’s partners. Activities included making UV bead bracelets to let children know when they’ve had too much sun, making sundials and demonstrating models about the distance between planets.

Rowse said 250 eclipse glasses were provided by STAR Library Network’s Solar Eclipse Activities for Libraries (SEAL).

“The glasses will go home with the children,” she said. “They can have them until the next solar eclipse (on April 8).”

Saturday’s event was a prelude to the total solar eclipse that will sweep across Mexico, the eastern half of the U.S. and Canada, in six months. Unlike Saturday, when the moon was too far from Earth to completely cover the sun from our perspective, the moon will be at the perfect distance on April 8, according to the Associated Press.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.