New Jersey residents partake in viewing rare solar eclipse celestial event
Officials at Liberty Science Center put on what they called the “largest astronomy party.”
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Eyes were looking toward the sky all day at Liberty Science Center in Jersey City on Monday to view the solar eclipse.
Josh Kra and his kids were visiting from Clifton. Kra says the last time there was a solar eclipse he was in elementary school.
“I think it’s important that when you have natural phenomena in the world that people are able to go out and see it and actually experience nature for what it really is and there’s a lot of cool things out there,” said Kra.
Officials at Liberty Science Center put on what they called the “largest astronomy party.”
Guests could view the eclipse traveling through different states via a livestream, wear the protective solar eclipse viewing glasses or use one of the several telescopes with special filters to see it.
The center even provided 10,000 special solar eclipse glasses to people who came out.
But despite being given them, the Rodriquez family from East Rutherford had another plan to help protect their eyes even more.
“Since this is a little bit bigger for the kids, I saw on YouTube that cutting the side a little bit this will fit better on the kid's face and then you can slide the glasses in there, to make it like stay in place," said Wantawan Rodriguez.
Science center officials say while many enjoyed viewing the eclipse, astronomers were studying it.
“We learn a lot of science from this because what happens is when the moon blocks the sun you can see the corona. That’s the atmosphere of the sun…This is a rare chance for astronomers to see that corona and study," said Paul Hoffman, president and CEO of Liberty Science Center.
“It’s really cool because I was a kid when it happened last time around, I remember and now I get to be a parent and so it with my kids and hopefully they remember it too and do it with their kids," Kra said.
NASA says the next total solar eclipse that can be seen from the contiguous United States will be in 2044.
