Solar Eclipse Viewing Party at Fleet Science Center
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On Monday, April 8, a partial solar eclipse will be visible in San Diego. The Fleet Science Center is hosting a viewing party outside the Fleet in front of the iconic Bea Evenson Fountain. The event is free and begins at 9 a.m.
The partial solar eclipse will begin at 10:03 a.m. when the Moon appears to touch the Sun's edge. The climax, when the Moon is closest to the center of the Sun, will be visible from San Diego at 11:11 a.m. Viewers will see the most exciting moments between 10:45 and 11:45 a.m., with the eclipse concluding at 12:23 p.m. when the Moon leaves the Sun's edge.
Local astronomy and eclipse experts from the University of California, San Diego, San Diego State University, and the San Diego Astronomy Association will be available to answer questions.
Hands-on demonstration stations will feature crafting eclipse projectors, a fun and free activity that lets you safely observe the eclipse's mesmerizing progression through its shadow projection.
Craveology Café and the North Star Science Store will open at 9 a.m. so eclipse viewers can enjoy coffee and breakfast and shop for safe-viewing eclipse glasses and other eclipse-themed merchandise.
The Fleet galleries will open at 10 a.m. and feature special eclipse programming, which is included with the price of admission.
- There will be a live feed of the eclipse in the Fleet's Heikoff Giant Dome Theater. Viewers can see the totality projected on the Dome screen starting at 10:30 a.m.
- Eclipse-themed activities throughout the day in Studio X, the Fleet's creative makerspace
- Let your imagination soar in our Space Gallery as you connect with the cosmic event.
For more information on the Fleet's Solar Eclipse Viewing Party, please visit fleetscience.org/events/solar-eclipse-viewing-party.
Please note: Special equipment is needed to observe the eclipse. IT IS NOT SAFE TO LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN DURING A PARTIAL SOLAR ECLIPSE. Looking directly at the eclipse can cause permanent eye damage. Telescopes and binoculars project images of the Sun on a flat surface, similar to a pinhole camera.
Special Eclipse glasses are available to purchase from the Fleet's North Star Science Store. If you wish to observe through a telescope, you need a solar filter and cannot use your typical spotting scope to align.
Event Supported By
Fleet Science Center
Fleet Science Center features more than 100 interactive science exhibits in eight galleries, as well as major traveling exhibitions. Visitors can create colored shadows, design images with a sand pendulum, examine the vibration of guitar strings and get their hands on a variety of intriguing scientific phenomena. The Fleet Science Center is also home to the world’s first IMAX Dome Theater, presenting the biggest films on the planet. Its unique configuration wraps the audience in images and provides the illusion of being suspended in space. In 2008, the Fleet completed phase one of a two-phase project, refurbishing the theater’s interior, upgrading the sound system and replacing the original screen with a new seamless screen. In February 2012, phase two was completed, adding a state-of-the-art digital projection system to the theater. The Eugene Heikoff and Marilyn Jacobs Heikoff Dome Theater now shows both IMAX films and digital shows on the NanoSeamTM screen, offering audiences an immersive viewing experience available nowhere else in Southern California. Heikoff Dome Theater show topics take audiences from outer space to under water and every place in between, and are generally suitable for all ages. San Diego’s only Giant Dome Theater also plays host to planetarium shows, including the monthly Sky Tonight show, which is led by an astronomer and followed by outdoor telescope viewing, courtesy of the San Diego Astronomy Association. The Fleet Science Center is open daily at 10 a.m. and is open in the evenings during summer and on weekends. We're open on holidays, too--check our site or call 619-238-1233 for holiday hours. Since our opening in 1973, the Fleet has been the best-attended museum in the city and a Top 10 attraction in San Diego. We are located in beautiful Balboa Park, home to many of the city’s museums, as well as attractive gardens, intriguing architecture and picturesque fountains.