By LINDA COMINS
The Intelligencer and Wheeling News-Register
WHEELING, W.Va. — As solar eclipse “fever” spreads across the country, area residents have several options to view Monday’s event safely.
(Photo by Linda Comins)
A limited supply of protective glasses is available locally, but the special eyewear is going quickly.
The SMART Centre Market in Wheeling and the Near Earth Object Foundation purchased 1,000 pairs of Eclipse Shades — special eye protection to wear for viewing the rare natural phenomenon, SMART Centre Market co-owner Robert Strong said. According to the manufacturer, Eclipse Shades filter out 100 percent of ultraviolet and infrared rays and 99.999 percent of intense visible light.
Currently, SMART Centre Market is on its second shipment of the protective eyewear, and the science center is fielding many calls about eclipse glasses.
Store co-owner Libby Strong said Wednesday they have “a very limited number” of Eclipse Shades now available. She recommended that people call first at 304-233-4667 before making a trip to the shop.
The Ohio County Public Library in Wheeling also has a limited number of Eclipse Shades available for patrons. Erin Rothenbuehler, the library’s coordinator of programming, publicity and archives, said 100 pairs of the protective glasses are earmarked for distribution to people attending a special program to be presented by Robert Strong in the library’s auditorium at 7 p.m. today.
The presentation on the solar eclipse is free and open to the public.
Area residents may join the Strongs at Grand Vue Park’s shelters 3, 4 and 5 in Moundsville for protected viewing of the solar eclipse from 1-4 p.m. Monday. An invitation to Grand Vue Park’s free event has been shared with area schools. The Strongs expect 400-450 children to participate, including sixth-graders from Marshall County Schools and fifth-graders from a couple of other schools.
NASA’s live feed of the historic total solar eclipse will be shown in the Ohio County Public Library’s auditorium from 1-4 p.m. Monday. This event also is free and open to the public.
The Challenger Learning Center at Wheeling Jesuit University isn’t planning any programs related to the solar eclipse, director Jackie Shia said.
Chuck Wood, a staff member of the Challenger Learning Center, said 83 percent of the solar eclipse is expected to be visible in the Wheeling area if it isn’t a cloudy afternoon. Cloud cover could interfere with the event’s visibility.
In this area, the eclipse will start a couple of minutes after 1 p.m. Monday, as the new moon begins to move over the sun, Strong said. Here, the maximum point of the sun’s coverage by the moon will occur at about 2:30 p.m. He said the sun will leave the shadow of the moon at about 3:55 p.m.
Looking directly at the sun during an eclipse is extremely dangerous because temporary or permanent eye damage can occur in a matter of seconds. The resulting burn to the retina could take weeks to heal or might never heal, Strong said.
Household pets should be kept indoors during the solar eclipse to prevent damaging their eyes, he added.
Astronomers and eye care professionals also warn that regular sunglasses are ineffective in this situation because they aren’t designed to block 100 percent of harmful rays. Consumers should read labels of eclipse glasses to be sure that they provide 100-percent blockage.
Strong said an inexpensive household gadget with holes — such as a colander, cheese grater, sink strainer or salt and pepper shaker top — can be used for indirect viewing of the solar eclipse. A holed device can be held a couple of feet off the ground and positioned downward over a piece of white foam board in order to see a crescent-shaped image of the eclipsed sun without looking directly into the orb.
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