West Newsmagazine 7-5-17
Local news, local politics and community events for West St. Louis County Missouri.
Local news, local politics and community events for West St. Louis County Missouri.
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WESTNEWSMAGAZINE.COM<br />
July 5, 20<strong>17</strong><br />
WEST NEWSMAGAZINE<br />
I COVER STORY I 41<br />
calling the St. Charles County Parks and<br />
Recreation Department.<br />
“We’ve got the experts in our pocket,<br />
so it’ll be an astronomical opportunity,”<br />
Nancy Gomer, marketing coordinator for<br />
St. Charles County Parks, said. “We’re<br />
trying to accommodate as many people<br />
from St. Charles, and really as many people<br />
as possible, for this event.”<br />
A comprehensive list of all Missoouri<br />
municipalities within the eclipse path can<br />
be found at www.eclipse20<strong>17</strong>.org.<br />
“A lot of people will be coming into St.<br />
Louis,” said John Weis, education specialist<br />
and NASA STEM educator professional.<br />
“There might be more than a million people<br />
coming into St. Louis alone.” In specific<br />
areas like St. Charles, 50,000 visitors are<br />
expected.<br />
Weis said NASA is “planning to station<br />
a staff member to monitor the eclipse in<br />
Carbondale [Illinois].”<br />
Viewing from home<br />
To view the eclipse at home, there are a few<br />
preparations and safety precautions. Special<br />
viewing glasses or alternative pinhole projectors<br />
should be used, save for when the diamond-shaped<br />
bright spot totally disappears<br />
behind the moon. During an eclipse, UV<br />
rays can still damage retinal tissue and could<br />
result in permanent vision loss if directly<br />
stared at for a long enough time.<br />
John Weis, education specialist and NASA<br />
STEM educator professional, presenting at the<br />
20<strong>17</strong> St. Louis Solar Eclipse Expo on June <strong>17</strong>.<br />
“I haven’t been around long enough to<br />
see the repercussions of a total eclipse, but<br />
I do see a lot of solar retinopathy, which<br />
is a retinal problem that can permanently<br />
damage your vision from looking at the<br />
sun,” Dr. Erin Sullivan, of the Missouri<br />
Optometric Association, said.<br />
According to Sullivan, individuals<br />
should check that eclipse glasses are ISOcertified<br />
[International Organization for<br />
Standardization] before use. An ISO seal<br />
indicates that the glasses meet international<br />
safety measures for eye protection.<br />
“I’ve seen a lot of my clients bring in<br />
glasses that aren’t ISO-certified and end up<br />
being counterfeits,” Sullivan said.<br />
Eyes aren’t the only things that need protection<br />
during an eclipse. Camera and cell<br />
phone lenses can be damaged by the rays of<br />
the bright spot that appears during the partial<br />
eclipses before and after totality. Photo<br />
opportunities should be reserved for the<br />
moments when the sun is totally eclipsed,<br />
according to Fred Bruenjes, owner and<br />
chief engineer with DayStar Filters and<br />
founder of Moonglow Technologies.<br />
“There are going to be hundreds or thousands<br />
of professional pictures taken,” Bruenjes<br />
said. “You won’t be missing anything<br />
if you decide to not take pictures.”<br />
Future opportunity<br />
For those who miss the eclipse, another<br />
opportunity is literally on the horizon.<br />
The next opportunity to locally view<br />
a total solar eclipse will be April 2024.<br />
The projected path is south of St. Louis,<br />
traversing southeast Missouri, southern<br />
Illinois, Texas and parts of Central America.<br />
The path of the 2024 eclipse crosses<br />
the path of the 20<strong>17</strong> eclipse, with an intersection<br />
located just south of Carbonale,<br />
Illinois, meaning it and cities like Cape<br />
Girardeau will experience two total solar<br />
eclipses within seven years.<br />
• • •<br />
Editor’s Note: For extra content, including<br />
a map of the eclipse’s path across Missouri,<br />
visit www.westnewsmagazine.com.<br />
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