WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES AUGUST 24, 2017 23
BUZZ
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.
The 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.
People were looking up to the sky on Monday afternoon to check out the solar eclipse.
“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 Science.
They 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
Photos by Anthony Giudice/Ridgewood Times
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.
