Calling all Citizen Scientists! On Monday, April 8th, a total solar eclipse will cross North America as the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, blocking the face of the Sun! Though New Jersey is not in the path of totality, we will see a deep partial eclipse of about 90%. Come to the Louise Childs Library on 4/8 to participate in an eclipse science project. Join us to observe the eclipse on Monday, April 8th beginning at 1:00PM! Registration is limited to 12 families who will receive up to four sets of glasses for this program. Requirements: In this program, citizen scientists (that’s you) will be making observations about their surroundings using a smartphone or tablet. We ask that parents register their children on Globe Observer prior to this STEM program. GLOBE Observer is an international network of citizen scientists and scientists working together to learn more about our shared environment and changing climate. They work in conjunction with NASA. The link for the app can be found here: https://observer.globe.gov/about/get-the-app. If you do not have a smartphone or tablet, we will have a small supply of iPads that can be used for this event. You will still need to register prior to the event on their website: https://www.globe.gov/about/ready-to-join/create-an-account. Together with Derenda, you will be making observations about every 15-30 minutes, before and while the eclipse is taking place. This information will be uploaded to NASA for scientists to evaluated your findings in order to answer important questions about the effects of an eclipse on our environment. From NASA: Clouds are an important part of the Earth’s energy budget, and you may observe changes as the Sun becomes more and more blocked during the eclipse. We would like you to make regular observations for about two hours before and after the point of maximum eclipse. That will cover the period when the moon first starts blocking the Sun, called first contact, all the way to last contact, when the moon moves completely past the Sun and is no longer blocking any portion of it. In addition, you will be taking temperature readings with a weather thermometer. We will supply the thermometer for you to borrow. Frequently asked questions! Adults will need to work with their children in this scientific observation.