Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First

Planetarium experience at KPL to prepare for safe eclipse viewing

The Kimball Public Library and the Friends of the Kimball Public Library, with funding from the Grace L. Olsen Memorial, are pleased to bring the Portable Planetarium to Kimball youth.

“This is really neat and something that Grace would have approved,” Liesch said.

The planetarium, called the Edgerton Explorit Center, comes to Kimball from the Edgerton Center in Aurora on Wednesday, May 31 with several 30-minute showings available. For youth enrolled in the KPL summer reading program, available viewing times are at 11 a.m., 11:45, 1 p.m. and 1:45.

Once inside the portable planetarium, the show begins with sundown and moves into a starry night, complete with constellations. Then Dan Glomski, longtime astronomer in new portable planetarium, offers viewers a preview of what to expect during the August 21 total solar eclipse, according to librarian Leta Liesch.

According to the Edgerton website, the planetarium, which debuted publicly with a Preclipse event on August 21, 2016, will be part of a series of educational activities and events centered around the upcoming total solar eclipse, the path of which crosses Nebraska.

The Edgerton Center is working with Hall County Convention and Visitors Bureau, Aurora Area Chamber and Development Corporation, NASA Nebraska Space Grant and other organizations to promote viewing this extremely rare event from central and eastern Nebraska.

Funding for summer reading program children is provided by the Grace Olsen Memorial and free will donations will be accepted for additional viewing experiences on the evening of May 31, with times available at 5, 6, 7 and 8 p.m.

Because just 24 patrons can be admitted at a time, space is limited and filling up fast, so patrons are asked to call for an appointment. All those who attend will receive a set of safety glasses for safe viewing of the eclipse. For more information, please call the Kimball Public Library at 308-235-4523.

 
 
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