Last Eclipse Post Until 2024

The August program page has info on events this weekend and next week (highlights below). The September page is available if you want to plan ahead (there's also a list of sites scheduled to open on Labor Day).

An intrepid photographer at Landis Valley managed to get this shot of the eclipse thru cloud cover (via Facebook)

So, eclipse fever is fading, but I think most of us will agree that it lived up to the hype. That's saying something in our full-of-hype lives. I was intrigued by the posts I saw on Facebook and Twitter with historical accounts of eclipses past and fascinated by the photos from friends and strangers along the path of totality or the path of partiality. It was fun to build my own pinhole projector out of a cereal box (thanks NASA and State Museum Planetarium for the instructions). It worked fairly well, too, with a little trial and error. It was even more fun to look through the eclipse glasses that the boss bought to share with staff. We passed them around among our office staff and then other agency staff and even just other folks out on the Keystone Building and Museum plaza. A shared experience and then back to work.

If you still have eclipse glasses and won't be using them again in the near future, Gizmodo reports that you can donate them to Astronomers Without Borders for reuse by kids in developing countries to view eclipses in 2019. Or you can donate money for them to buy new glasses, but they're using this opportunity to create a stockpile (read more about it).

Here are a couple more eclipse-related photos you may not have seen (or scroll down to see Trails of History events coming up this weekend).

Partial eclipse casts crescent shadows in Erie (photo by Linda Bolla)
Fun fact: Erie will be in the path of totality for the next solar eclipse visible in the US, in April 2024!

The floor of the Commonwealth Keystone Building atrium at max coverage (photo by AKF)

This weekend...
Drake Well Museum
Aug. 26: Something More Saturday—Today's event is "Drake Day - Let's Rock," commemorating the birth of the modern oil industry. Learn about fossils and rocks from paleontologists and geologists; you can even try the climbing wall. Admission charged. Noon-4 pm. (PLEASE NOTE: Historic Pithole will be closed on Saturday so that volunteers can be at Drake Well for Drake Day; Pithole will be open on Sunday.)

Old Economy Village
Aug. 26: Spotlight Saturday—glimpse life and work in the 19th century through demonstrations and tours - this week is woodworking and children's games. Included in regular admission, so please start at the Visitor Center. 11 am-4 pm (site open 10 am-5 pm).

Pennsbury Manor
Aug. 27: Meet Our Lambs—Pennsbury adopted two lambs earlier this month and they are now ready for their debut. You can admire their adorableness and vote on names for them (more info on Facebook). Plus lots of other stuff to see and do, as always. Included in regular admission. 12:30-5 pm.
Aug. 27: Bitters, Blubs & Brewing—visit with the gardeners and stop by the brew house to see what's up. Visitors age 21 and older who pre-register and pay the $20 fee can learn to make their own bitters Call 215/946-0400 to register. 2-4 pm.

State Museum of Pennsylvania
Aug. 25: Free Summer Friday and Learn at Lunchtime—general admission is free, 9 am to 5 pm (regular fees apply for the Planetarium). Curiosity Connection will have free timed tickets available. Today's Learn at Lunchtime is a special tour of the "Pennsylvania at War" exhibit, 12:15-12:45 pm.