Karen Schwarz, astronomer and director of West Chester University’s Mather Planetarium, will host a free, public viewing party today for the solar eclipse.

From 1-4 PM on the university’s Academic Quad, telescopes and free eclipse glasses will be available for guests to safely watch the progress of the moon as it passes between Earth and the sun. Plenty of activities will help guests understand the event and learn more about our star, even if it’s cloudy.

The height of the eclipse is at 2:43 PM.

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Among the activities planned:

• A huge space set up as an interactive sundial to mark the shadows made before, during, and after the eclipse. Guests can trace the shadows made by the gnomon (the centerpiece) using markers.
• Spectroscopes for making rainbows without rain and learning about the visible light spectrum.
• Make and take a “solar system in your pocket.”

Schwarz, several of her colleagues, and science students will be on hand to answer questions and ask guests some astronomical ones as well.

The free event is rain or shine. In case of cloudy weather, activities will continue on the quad but solar viewing may not be possible. In case of rain, activities will be relocated to Ehinger Gymnasium (South Church Street at University Avenue), where a live stream of the eclipse from a different location will be shown.

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