Due to the overcast and rainy weather conditions, the outdoor solar eclipse-viewing activities at Longway Planetarium have been cancelled. Skies Over Michigan at 3 p.m. is also cancelled. On the upside, the following free indoor activities inspired by the partial solar eclipse - and in preparation for a rare near-total eclipse happening in Genesee County on April 8, 2024 - will still be offered for the community tomorrow:
- Guests will still be able to view the solar eclipse inside the lobby of Longway Planetarium from about 11:45 a.m.-2:23 p.m. (ET) as it is being live streamed from the West coast. (In the Flint area, about 34% of the sun will be eclipsed by the moon at the peak of the event at 1:03 p.m., although the clouds will obscure the view for Genesee County residents).
- Eclipse viewing glasses will still be available for $2 a pair at gift shops located inside Longway Planetarium and at Sloan Museum of Discovery across the street.
- For eclipse fans young and old who want to create their own eclipse viewers, Sloan Museum of Discovery will have supplies upon request inside the Discovery Lab maker’s space on Saturday, October 14, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (Bonus! The Lego Club will also be taking place in the Discovery Lab this Saturday 10-11:30 a.m.)
Both the solar eclipse eyeglasses and the make-and-take eclipse viewers can be used again April 8, 2024, when a near-total eclipse will take place in Flint with 97% of the sun getting obscured by the Moon. At the peak of the April 2024 eclipse, residents will witness darkness at 3:03 p.m. Longway Planetarium and Sloan Museum of Discovery will be announcing plans to celebrate this rare event at a later date.
For more information, go to Longway.org, email to Longway@SloanLongway.org, or call the Longway Planetarium at (810) 237-3400.
To download October's Sky Guide, go here.
Admission to Sloan Museum of Discovery is free to residents of Genesee County and discounted at Longway Planetarium due to the Arts Education and Cultural Enrichment Millage passed by voters in 2018.
