MAMMOTH CAVE, KY – Mammoth Cave National Park is offering the public a chance to experience a partial solar eclipse Saturday Oct. 14 at 10:39am. Visitors will safely use telescopes to watch as the moon passes between the Sun and Earth and partially blocks it from view. Park guides will present interactive solar eclipse-themed activities to engage the community through science, creativity, and fun.
All partial eclipse activities will take place at the park visitor center and are free and open to the public with no tickets or reservations required. Participants are advised to arrive early to prepare for the viewing.
Several activities and presentations are planned to prepare guests for the celestial event.
- At 9:00am, Ranger Aaron will explain the science behind the rare partial eclipse event in the visitor center museum.
- And at 9:45am, children can visit a Kid’s Workshop Station at the visitor center to create their own pinhole projector to safely view the partial eclipse.
- The Junior Astronomer Program will be available all day for future Junior Rangers. The Junior Astronomy Pledge and Patch Ceremony will take place after the eclipse.
The only safe way to look directly at the sun during a partial eclipse is through special-purpose solar filters, like eclipse glasses or handheld solar viewers. The park will provide several safe methods to view the celestial event including telescopes that are specially set up for viewing the sun, pin hole projectors, and special solar safe glasses.
