A forecast of cloudy skies and the threat of copious amounts of rain between 2 and 3 p.m. did not deter people from seeking out a place to watch Monday’s partial solar eclipse in and around Greenbelt. Despite that forecast seemingly getting worse all morning, they ventured out anyway – to Goddard Space Flight Center, to Roosevelt Center, to Greenbelt Lake, to ballfields and even just outside to parking lots, front lawns and sidewalks – to watch a spectacle of nature not seen to this extent across the country since 1918. While many brought and shared the requisite ISO 12312-2 viewing glasses, others used all manner of homemade and scientist-sanctioned eclipse-watching contraptions. Still others grabbed colanders or other bits and bobs likely found in kitchen junk drawers – called found-object projectors. And many just let nature provide the image makers. The clouds built up and moved by, providing artistic appeal but no rain, and by most accounts folks who watched the eclipse at the moment of maximum obscuration in our area, which fell between 80.5 and 80.64 percent, were not disappointed. Many from Greenbelt and the surrounding communities sought the space angle – literally and figuratively – on the grounds of Goddard Space Flight Center, where they encamped behind the Visitor Center with kids, friends, relatives, chairs, blankets and umbrellas (just in case). A few of the more serious sky observers and photographers set up more elaborate equipment as well. Read more about what Greenbelters got up to in the article. Click here to go to the paper.
