The Carnegie Museum of Montgomery County is offering multiple ways for the community to safely enjoy the Total Solar Eclipse on April 8.
The museum, in partnership with Athens Arts Gallery, is distributing Total Eclipse Take-Home Kits for families to learn about the eclipse and to safely view it at home. Each kit includes four pairs of ISO certified eclipse glasses, a commemorative magnet, educational information and instructions and supplies for several fun eclipse-themed activities. Educational information is available in both English and Spanish.
Activities in the kit include creating a sundial, making a bracelet from UV beads, using the sun to create cyanotype prints, creating a prism, building a solar oven to make a tasty treat, shadow tracing, writing a poem or letter to your future self, and more. Instructions and all activity supplies are included.
Kits are available free while supplies last, with a limit of one kit per family.
Kits will be distributed starting Saturday during business hours from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. This is in conjunction with the museum’s Pi Day celebration. The kit giveaway will continue through April 6.
During the kit distribution period, the museum will also have eclipse-themed activities available throughout the building as part of Spring Break Science. Visitors will be able to learn about eclipses and planetary orbits, explore how the distance and relative size of the moon and sun create the conditions for eclipses, make a solar flare flipbook and more. Visitors will even have the opportunity to view the sun through a solar telescope, weather permitting, 2-4 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 30, courtesy of the Wabash College Physics Department.
For those who wish to watch the eclipse with others, the Carnegie Museum and the Children’s Services department at the Crawfordsville District Public Library will be hosting a Total Eclipse Viewing Party from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. April 8 at the Pavilion in the Library parking lot. Free eclipse glasses, snacks, activities and educational information will be available. Bring your own lawn chairs for comfortable viewing. This event is free and open to the public.
The Carnegie Museum’s eclipse offerings are supported by a grant from the Simons Foundation as part of its “In the Path of Totality” initiative. For more information, visit inthepathoftotality.org. The Simons Foundation’s Science, Society and Culture division seeks to provide opportunities for people to forge a connection to science — whether for the first time or a lifetime. Through their initiatives, they work to inspire a feeling of awe and wonder, foster connections between people and science, and support environments that provide a sense of belonging. The Simons Foundation’s mission is to advance the frontiers of research in mathematics and the basic sciences. Since its founding in 1994 by Jim and Marilyn Simons, the foundation has been a champion of basic science through grant funding, support for research and public engagement. They believe in asking big questions and providing sustained support to researchers working to unravel the mysteries of the universe. Through their work they make space for scientific discovery.
Athens Arts Gallery’s contributions to the take-home kit are supported by a grant from the Indiana University Center for Rural Engagement, via funding providing by the Simons Foundation.
The Carnegie Museum is located at 222 S. Washington St. Admission is free, and the museum is wheelchair and stroller accessible. The Carnegie Museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.
