The 501c3 Files from The Ashland Sneak Preview

By Sophia and Adam Bogle

To the untrained / un-magnified eye, our 93% view of the solar eclipse here in Ashland is going to look pretty darn spectacular. Did you know that eastern Oregon is expecting over one million tourists for this event? Just the traffic alone is going to be a bit much to say the least. So if you are like me and don’t have a week to dedicate to camping in the high desert, why not stay local? Come to the eclipse party at our own ScienceWorks on August 21st!

I met recently with Ann Dowdy, ScienceWorks’ Executive Director to find out more about this event. She was super excited about this great scientific opportunity for the community and told me they are going all out to make the most of it.

There will be food and coffee carts on site and eclipse glasses will be for sale. Ann told me that there will be some free glasses for early birds but if you want to be guaranteed a pair, come visit ScienceWorks now and buy a pair in their gift shop for only $1.

On the day, bring your lawn chairs and picnic blankets and get there early. The event starts about 9:15 with the total eclipse occurring at 10:18. It won’t cost anything to just come hang out on their lawn but for those curious budding scientists there will be fun astronomy activities and information inside. ScienceWorks is one of the few N.A.S.A. approved sites for the eclipse and will have a N.A.S.A live-stream feed of the event so we can see the “totality” on the screen in their theater. Regular admission is only $10 for kids and seniors and $12 for those over age twelve.

This eclipse is such a rare celestial occurrence, why not take advantage of it and make this an astronomy summer? Did you know that ScienceWorks has Free Summer Star Parties August 4th and August 25th! Starting at 8:30 and going until 10 P.M. They turn off the outdoor lights and set up the telescopes! I know I personally am always wondering if those twinkling objects in the sky are stars or planets and I only know two or three constellations for sure: Orion’s Belt, The Big Dipper and the Little Dipper. It would be nice to be able to point out a few more, although I have to admit I have had fun making up some new ones for my nieces. The Great Whisk and Santa’s Beard are good fun to make up stories for, but I do hate to think I am dooming my nieces to fail astronomy later on. Don’t be like me! Get the real scoop on constellations like Cassiopeia and Aquila!

ScienceWorks will have eclipse activities and information available for the entire week before the event. And on eclipse day there will be astronomy specialists to answer your questions and various devices to view the sun while the eclipse is happening. The next time a complete solar eclipse will be near us (in Northern California) will be August 12th 2045. Only 28 years away…

ScienceWorks is located in Ashland at 1500 East Main Street near Walker Ave. Their summer hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Parking is easy and there is so much to do from giant bubbles to making your own machines in Da Vinci’s Garage that everyone is bound to have a good time. For more information go to www.scienceworksmuseum.org. ScienceWorks is a non-profit organization that is helping to provide S.T.E.A.M. based educational opportunities for our youth and our young at heart. Volunteer! Make a donation! Now more than ever…