We'll help you experience the solar eclipse
“Truth is like the sun. You can shut it out for a time, but it ain't going away.” - Elvis Presley
Indeed, the sun is going to go away – at least in part, in the early afternoon on Monday, Aug. 21, as for the first time in nearly four decades, the United States will be affected by a total solar eclipse. In central Oklahoma, there will be about a 90 percent eclipsing of the sun, with maximum eclipse coming at 1:05 p.m.
A path running from northwest to southeast from Washington State through Nebraska and eventually South Carolina will see a total eclipse lasting about two to three minutes.
This isn’t something you get to see often. The last total solar eclipse in the continental United States came on the morning of Feb. 26, 1979. There’s another good chance to see a total eclipse in Oklahoma on April 8, 2024. But don’t wait up because after that, there won’t be another occurrence until Aug. 12, 2045!
Many residents are looking for glasses with which to watch the eclipse safely. Supplies provided to libraries were set aside specifically for participants who signed up for programs listed below. However, the American Astronomical Society has many options for watching the eclipse which at this point will be the best way to obtain safe glasses to view the event.
There are also some free or inexpensive ways to safely view the eclipse. The American Astronomical Society also has information on pinhole projection and more.
If you aleady have your glasses, it's a good idea to check if they are safe, as there are a number of fakes out there. The American Astronomical Society has the info you need to check for safety.
Hometown libraries are joining hundreds of libraries across the country to get ready for the eclipse with programs and activities, including:
Solar Eclipse program, 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 12, Purcell Public Library
Family Fun with the Sun, 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 17, Noble Public Library
Solar Eclipse 2017: The "All-American" Eclipse, 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 17, and 2 p.m. Friday, Aug. 18, Newcastle Public Library
Solar Eclipse Viewing Party, noon to 2 p.m. Monday, Aug. 21, Norman Public Library West
Science of the Solar Eclipse, 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 21, Moore Public Library (at Moore’s Central Park Amphitheater, 700 S. Broadway Ave.)
The American Library Association also is giving libraries and families good ideas for how to help their children safely view the eclipse.
And, of course, our collection is loaded with great materials to learn more about eclipses, the Sun and the solar system.
Stay in tune with everything the library is doing via the Pioneer Library System Connect App, available for free download from the App Store for iPhone or Google Play for Android.
Inside the mysterious world of Nelson DeMille
Nelson DeMille’s mystery and thriller novels have enthralled readers for nearly four decades.
A total of some 30 books have been written and published by the author since his first effort, By the Rivers of Babylon in 1978. DeMille’s newest book The Cuban Affair is set for release in September of this year and is on order to be in many of the Pioneer Library System’s hometown libraries.
DeMille’s 74th birthday is Aug. 23, and it’s a good time to look at some of his tantalizing tales that are part of the PLS collection.
The Quest (2013)
After receiving a tip from a dying priest, journeying from the dusty archives of the Vatican to the overgrown jungles of Ethiopia, an unlikely crew of four begins a deadly search for the Holy Grail. Their adventure pits them against murderous tribesmen, assassins, fanatical Coptic monks, and ultimately, against themselves.
John Corey series (1997-2012)
This seven-part series features the work of NYPD detective John Corey, who battles terrorists, thwarts villains and uncovers potent plots. The series begins with Plum Island, where Corey uncovers a chilling link between a couple’s deaths and the theft and illegal sale of genetically altered viruses, and races against time to stop the possible release of a deadly plague.
The General’s Daughter (1992)
The novel is an intriguing and sophisticated murder mystery of an upstanding military officer – the base commander's daughter – who has been leading an unsavory double life. It’s DeMille’s most highly rated work on Goodreads.