Planetarium in Albany, GA, celebrates solar eclipse

ALBANY – Last-minute eclipse chasers flocked to the Thronateeska Heritage Center Planetarium to buy glasses and watch the partial eclipse Monday. The center sold out of the glasses within an hour.

While Albany wasn’t in the direct path to view the total Great American Eclipse, south Georgia had about 77% coverage at its peak, which occurred at about 3 p.m.

This was the first total eclipse visible in the U.S. since The Great American Eclipse of Aug. 21, 2017. The path of totality for Monday’s eclipse ran diagonally from Texas to Maine, encompassing about 30 million people and attracting many more travelers to watch the moon cover the sun. The next total eclipse viewable in the continental U.S. won’t be until Aug. 23, 2044.

A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the Earth, blocking the sun’s light. A partial solar eclipse means the moon will only block some of the sun.

Kristin Bassig, a 45-year-old Leesburg resident, brought her 9-year-old daughter, Marione Bassig, to Thronateeska’s Planetarium to view its new show on solar eclipses. The two were joined by one other guest in the planetarium room to learn about the history and science behind solar eclipses.

Marione is homeschooled, Kristin Bassig said, and she had just learned about the heavenly bodies. Kristin said it was exciting to be able to show her daughter the eclipse in real life.

“You read it in books, teach it, but now it’s actually happening here, and we are fortunate to see it,” she said.

After the 30-minute showing, the mother and daughter duo stood in front of the center with their eclipse glasses and gazed into the sun. They purchased two packs of the glasses online a week earlier.

You have to use special glasses to safely view a solar eclipse. The glasses were in high demand in Albany, Monday. Jackie Entz, the director of education for the Artesian Alliance, said the Thronateeska sold glasses they had left over from their Saturday Eclipse Party on Monday. They started selling them for $5 at noon and sold out within an hour.

Even after they sold out, the center received phone call after phone call from people asking if they still had glasses. People popped their heads in the doors to see if any were left. Staff finally had to put a “glasses sold out” sign on the front door. As the Brassigs watched the beginning of the eclipse, a man came over to ask where they had gotten their glasses because he couldn’t find any. They gave their extra pair to him.

The pack they bought also came with a special cover for a phone camera. Kristin used it to take photos of the eclipse.

Kristin said the last solar eclipse she got to see was in the ’90s while she was in elementary school. The mother and daughter duo eagerly watched as the moon began to cover the sun.

The Thronateeska Planetarium hosted an eclipse party from noon-4 p.m. The moon didn’t begin its journey in front of the sun until about 1:40 p.m.

Entz said the Thronateeska is all about education, and with the center housing a planetarium, this was a perfect time to offer eclipse-themed events for people to learn about the solar event.

The planetarium is usually open Thursday-Saturday, but she said they decided to have a special opening on Monday for the eclipse event.

“There’s eclipses that happen every year in different parts of the world, but this happens to be a special time,” Entz said. “We haven’t had one since 2017 in this area, and we will not have another eclipse for another 20 years. So it’s a pretty big deal, and we felt like it deserved some celebration.”

On Saturday, Thronateeska hosted an Eclipse Party during which families could learn about the eclipse and make themed crafts like miniature solar eclipse demonstrations and chalk art.

Entz said they saw about 100 people. The first 75 were given a free pair of eclipse glasses. It was also the first viewing of the planetarium’s eclipse program that played Monday. The center owns the rights to the show and will be able to play it for school groups and visitors during its regular hours.

During the 2017 eclipse, people were able to view the eclipse through a telescope at the Thronateeska Planetarium.

Entz said the Artesian Alliance’s Education Department has other exciting events popping up. On April 20, it’ll host its “Party for the Planet” in honor of Earth Day at Chehaw Park. In May, it’ll be back at the Thronateeska with Museum Mayhem and more craft and event opportunities. Folks can celebrate World Oceans Day at the Flint Riverquarium June 15.

Staff Photo: Lucille Lannigan