Your ultimate guide to viewing the solar eclipse
When the total solar eclipse makes its way across the United States on Aug. 21 for the first time in almost 40 years, where will you be?
If you travel south to the “path of totality,” you can catch the full solar eclipse in spots like Lincoln, Neb., or St. Joseph, Mo.
But it you aren’t able to leave Des Moines that day, no worries. You’ll still be able to see at least a partial solar eclipse from Des Moines – or from anywhere in the continental United States.
Safety first
Since it’s not safe to look directly into the sun, you’ll need solar glasses to view the eclipse.
If you travel to the path of totality, you’ll be able to look directly at the full eclipse without protection for the couple minutes that the sun is fully obscured by the moon. But the sun won’t be totally obscured during Des Moines’ partial eclipse, so you’ll need solar glasses the entire time you’re looking at the sun here in central Iowa.
Solar glasses – also known as eclipse glasses – are hundreds of times stronger than sunglasses. So don’t rely on your shades; make sure you have a pair of solar glasses to protect your eyes. Also, be sure not to look at the sun through an unfiltered camera, telescope or binoculars.
Some of the events in town will be handing out free solar glasses, or you can purchase them in advance. Make sure to follow NASA guidelines and buy only solar glasses that meet the current international standard: ISO 12312-2. You can get a pack of 10 pairs of ISO-certified solar glasses on Amazon.com for less than $10.
Viewing the partial eclipse in central Iowa
At home in the Des Moines area, you’ll be able to view the solar eclipse at .95 magnitude, which means that 95 percent of the sun’s diameter will be eclipsed by the moon. This partial eclipse in Des Moines will begin at 11:42 a.m. on Aug. 21 and end at 2:33 p.m., giving us 2 hours and 51 minutes of partial solar eclipse.
If you have your solar glasses, you can watch the partial eclipse from home, work or wherever you happen to be that day. Or you can watch the partial eclipse from one of several metro viewing locations. All of these events are free and many of them include educational activities, safe telescope viewing, NASA satellite video feeds of the full solar eclipse from locations in the path of totality, and/or a free pair of solar glasses for each attendee.
Group viewings can be found at:
- Altoona Public Library
- Fort Des Moines Park, Shelter #3
- Franklin Avenue Library in Des Moines
- Grimes Public Library
- Indianola Public Library
- Johnston Public Library
- Waukee Public Library
- West Des Moines Public Library
The Science Center of Iowa will also be hosting a solar eclipse event between 11:45 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. at the Iowa Capitol. Experts from SCI, the Des Moines Astronomical Society and Des Moines Park and Recreation will be on-site to help visitors with safe viewing and eclipse education. Solar telescopes and solar binoculars will be available for use as well as free solar glasses (while supplies last). The event is free.
If you want to study up a week before the eclipse, you can attend a free public lecture at 8 p.m. Monday, Aug. 14 (4898 Observatory Rd., Des Moines), as part of the Drake Municipal Observatory’s summer series. Drake faculty will talk about the science behind the eclipse and discuss how to safely observe it.
Traveling to the full eclipse
For those who want to experience the full eclipse, Iowans are lucky to be just a short drive away. Fourteen states – including a tiny, 450-acre sliver of southwest Iowa inhabited by one farm house and the Lower Hamburg Bend Conservation Area – will have a view of 100 percent solar eclipse in the path of totality.
That path will stretch within a 70-mile-wide arc from Oregon to South Carolina, lasting anywhere from 25 seconds (like in that sliver of southwest Iowa) to about 2 minutes and 40 seconds in certain areas of central Missouri and southern Illinois. During this brief stretch, when the sun is briefly eclipsed behind the moon, day will darken to night, stars will appear in the sky, and the otherwise hidden solar corona will be visible.
“Pictures do not convey the experience of totality,” says Dr. Kate Russo on beingintheshadow.com.
“Nothing you read, see or hear can prepare you for the spine-tingling, goosebumps-inducing experience of the total eclipse. You do not simply see a total eclipse. You experience it. You are immersed in it. You are completely overwhelmed by it. Many people say that the experience of totality changes their lives.”
Convinced that you need to witness this once-in-a-lifetime event for yourself? Here are some of your best bets:
Plan ahead. If you’re planning a day trip to any spots in the path of totality, officials recommend arriving at your destination as early in the morning as possible as interstates may be gridlocked after 10 a.m. You’ll want to be prepared for major delays by packing your car with plenty of food, water, any medications you take regularly, and your solar glasses for safe viewing from wherever you happen to be when the eclipse occurs.
Lathrop, Mo., is about 2 1/2 hours from Des Moines. Lathrop will be in the path of totality for 2 minutes and 39 seconds starting at 1:07 p.m. Officials there say Lathrop’s high elevations will make for a great place to watch the eclipse.
Although there are no hotels in this town of 2,000 people, primitive camping and portable toilets will be available in several locations. Bus tickets are available from Des Moines to Lathrop on Aug. 21 through bus.com, and buses are expected to arrive in Lathrop by 8 a.m. to beat the traffic. For information on viewing events in Lathrop as well as camping and bus transportation, visit lathropeclipse.com.
St. Joseph, Mo., is also about 2 1/2 hours from Des Moines. St. Joseph is the fifth-largest city in the eclipse path, and officials there expect anywhere from 50,000 to 500,000 people. In late July, travel websites showed all hotels in St. Joseph as booked, but if you call local hotels directly, a few spare rooms that normally are closer to $100 per night are available from Aug. 19-22 for upwards of $300 per night with a required booking of at least two nights.
The partial eclipse in St. Joseph starts at 11:40 a.m. and the full eclipse starts at 1:06 p.m. The total full eclipse will last for 2 minutes and 38 seconds, only 1.44 seconds short of the maximum possible time along the path.
You can experience the full eclipse from anywhere in St. Joseph or surrounding areas, but several eclipse viewing events are planned, as well as lectures and festivals stretching for several days. For information on the events, visit stjomo.com/eclipse2017.
Lincoln, Neb., is three hours from Des Moines. The total eclipse starts at 1:03 p.m. and will last for 2 minutes and 26.9 seconds. As with St. Joseph, hotel rooms for the eclipse are scarce. For information on eclipse-related events in Lincoln, check out lincoln.org/play/eclipse.