20 THE QUEENS COURIER • AUGUST 24, 2017 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Hundreds come to NY Hall of
Science to view historic eclipse
BY ANTHONY GIUDICE
agiudice@ridgewoodtimes.com
@A_GiudiceReport
Scores of people got a great glimpse at
the “Great American Solar Eclipse” on
Monday aft ernoon at the New York Hall
of Science in Flushing.
People of all ages gathered at the Hall
of Science, either inside the museum or
on the front lawn, equipped with all kinds
of devices to view the moon passing in
front of the sun, which casts a shadow on
the Earth.
Monday’s eclipse was the fi rst in 99
years to pass across the entire continental
United States. While Queens was outside
the “path of totality” in which the moon
completely blocked out the sun for a short
amount of time, the borough experienced
a partial eclipse that no less marveled
many stargazers.
In the weeks leading up to the eclipse,
people were trying to get their hands on
special eclipse glasses which would safely
allow wearers to view the celestial event
without risking damage to their eyes.
Kids, parents, and even grandparents
were passing glasses back and forth to
take a look at the eclipse, which began
being visible in New York at 1:23 p.m.
and peaked at 2:44 p.m., with approximately
70 percent of the sun covered,
with the completion coming at 4 p.m.
Eliot O’Neil, who was visiting family
from Maryland, was excited to don his family’s
protective glasses and see the eclipse.
“It’s really cool, and super bright,” the
youngster said. “You’re not going to see it
again for a long time.”
As locations ran out of glasses, Queens
residents got craft y and created their own
safe-viewing devices.
Giann Cortes, Violetta Ochoa, Angelina
Beltran, Giulianna Barbero, and Zoila
Caceres came from Elmhurst and Corona
with an arsenal of devices to watch the
eclipse.
Th e group had with them a cereal box
outfi tted with aluminum foil and a sheet
of paper to watch as the moon passed the
sun; two pieces of cardboard with holes
punched through the center that they
held up so the eclipse would cast a shadow
on the cardboard; glass from a picture
frame that was held over a fl ame to create
an almost smokescreen eff ect on the glass;
and even glass from a welder’s mask.
“We found how to make them on the
Internet,” Beltran said of the makeshift
devices.
Carolina Scaturro, Matthew Scaturro,
and Gloria Villa came from Franklin
Square to get a glimpse of the eclipse
because they are members at the Hall of
Photos by Anthony Giudice/Ridgewood Times
Science. Th ey came prepared with sheets
of X-ray paper which allowed them to
look up at the sun without hurting their
eyes.
“It is very exciting,” Scaturro said. “I did
see a lunar eclipse once in Columbia with
my mother, but this is diff erent.”
If you missed out on Monday’s eclipse,
you’re going to have to wait a while for
the next one, which will take place on
April 8, 2024.
People were looking up to the sky on Monday afternoon to check out the solar eclipse.
