Students have one more chance to see a planetarium show about the coming solar eclipse. Today  during second, third or fourth block there will be information about the solar eclipse, which is will occur Aug. 21, 2017. One of the main pats for the eclipse in Columbia.
As a result, planetarium director Melanie Knocke decided to offer students an opportunity to educate themselves on the upcoming spectacle.
“I wanted high school students to have a better understanding of what we do in the planetarium,” Knocke said. “Because there will be a lot of press surrounding the total eclipse, I thought this would be a good opportunity to use the eclipse to educate and inform.”
Freshman Erin Koller attended a show last Monday and said it included information on the solar system, moon phases and eclipses. Overall, the show left her feeling enthusiastic.
“I felt excited about the upcoming eclipse knowing I’m going to have a great opportunity to view it at Rock Bridge,” Koller said. “I had a great experience at the show. It gave me a firm understanding on eclipses. I left excited about the upcoming eclipse.”
Broken down, the show includes a 20-minute movie that provides a brief tour of the solar system and the relationship between the Earth, sun and moon, an explanation on moon phases and seasons, and, lastly, Knocke provides details on the upcoming eclipse for 10 minutes.
Like Koller, freshman Sophie Froese attended the April 17 show; she, too, had a positive experience.
“The presenter explained that when the eclipse occurs in August, Columbia Public Schools students will get to watch it and be provided with viewing glasses to safely observe,” Froese said. “The show made me feel excited about the upcoming eclipse because it explained the rarity of the event.”
More people are expected to see the eclipse in Missouri than in any other state, according to eclipse2017.org, because Kansas City and St. Louis are both partially in the path of totality, or the path that the moon’s shadow will trace on Earth during the eclipse. Knocke is excited that she’ll get to see the eclipse without leaving home.
“I’ve seen one total eclipse before, and that was amazing — not only the eclipse, but the fact that I saw it from the island of Aruba. This eclipse on Aug. 21, 2017 will be much cheaper to view — all I’ll have to do is walk outside,” Knocke said. “I’m sure it will be amazing, but to be honest, it’s going to be awfully hard to beat the eclipse I say from a Caribbean beach, but it will be fun to try.”