San Francisco Bay Area residents eager to experience a slice of cosmic spectacle will have several venues to choose from during the April 8 solar eclipse, offering many watch parties even though the locale falls short of the total eclipse path. According to a CBS News Bay Area report, the orbital dance will see the moon cover about 30-35% of the sun in these parts, with the peak eclipse moment occurring around 11:13 AM local time.
For those seeking a communal experience, the renowned Exploratorium at Pier 15 is the go-to spot with their Eclipse Viewing Party 2024, here, attendees will be privy to live telescope images streamed from the full eclipse in Texas and Mexico. This event bolsters intrigue with solar viewing glasses provided on a first-come, first-served basis and a slew of educational activities. Over at the Chabot Space Center in Oakland Hills, the tickets may be sold out. Still, the fortunate ticket holders will have access to the center's telescopes and a chance to view NASA's live stream from areas fully engulfed in the eclipse's shadow.
Those positioned in the East Bay can converge at UC Berkeley's Lawrence Hall of Science for expert-led solar activities and scheduled live streams of the eclipse in totality. In contrast, Sonoma County's Robert Ferguson Observatory will serve as a Northern Bay bastion for enthusiasts to gather for an open house event starting at 10 AM, featuring a live stream and various eclipse-related activities. "The only safe way to view the sun is with solar viewers, which are thousands of times darker than sunglasses," explains ABC7 News, emphasizing the critical nature of proper eye protection during the event.
In addition to the sites above, other Bay Area locations such as the Danville Library and Los Altos' Foothill Observatory are opening their doors for public viewing, complete with solar telescopes and glasses, ensuring residents won't miss out on this less-than-total. However, still an enthralling cosmic event, the Lick Observatory, though not hosting a viewing party, sells eclipse glasses for those who prefer a more individual experience. With the celestial drama above, Bay Area eclipse hunters are well-prepared for the early April sky show sans the embrace of totality's fleeting shadow that will sweep across other parts of North America.
