Friends of the Zeiss                                    

P.O. Box 1041                                                                   

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15230-1041 U.S.A.

Telephone: 412-561-7876

Electronic Mail: < fotzeiss@planetarium.cc >

Internet Web Site: < http://www.planetarium.cc >

Blog Site: < http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com >




                       NEWS RELEASE



For immediate release: 2014 September 15

For more information -- Glenn A. Walsh:

                     E-Mail: < gawalsh@planetarium.cc >

                           Telephone: 412-561-7876



OCT. 23 –

SAFE PUBLIC VIEWING OF SOLAR ECLIPSE

AT MT. LEBANON PUBLIC LIBRARY,

ON EVE OF 75TH ANNIV. OF BUHL PLANETARIUM


Pittsburgh, Sept. 15 --- Safe public viewing, free-of-charge, of a Partial Eclipse of the Sun will be displayed, via a live web-cast, in a meeting room of the Mt. Lebanon Public Library,
on Thursday, October 23, 2014 between 3:37 and 7:52 p.m. EDT (19:37 to 23:52 Coordinated Universal Time). This eclipse comes on the eve of the 75
th anniversary of Pittsburgh's
original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science.
The Mt. Lebanon Public Library is located at 16 Castle Shannon Boulevard, very close to Washington Road at the southern end of the Mt. Lebanon Uptown business district,
in south suburban Pittsburgh. This special event is co-sponsored by Friends of the Zeiss and the Mt. Lebanon Public Library.
An Eclipse of the Sun or Solar Eclipse occurs at the New Moon phase of the Moon, when the Moon comes between the Earth and the Sun and blocks-out some or all of the light
from the Sun. Unlike an Eclipse of the Moon or Lunar Eclipse when the Earth comes between the Sun and the Moon, it is dangerous to look directly at the Sun during an
Eclipse of the Sun or Solar Eclipse.
During a Partial Eclipse of the Sun, the Moon obscures only part of the Sun's light, from an observer on the Earth. The October 23 solar eclipse will be visible best in the western half of
North America, with an eclipse magnitude of 0.8114. For the short time it may be visible to telescopes in Pittsburgh, the eclipse obscuration would be a very modest 29.7 percent.
In Pittsburgh, this eclipse comes shortly before sunset, so it is unknown if safe telescope views will be possible. Thus, we will rely on a live web-cast to show the celestial event to the public.
However, if we attempt viewing this eclipse with a telescope, we will be using the safe projection method where the image of the eclipse is projected onto a special screen. If a telescope viewing
is possible, it would only be for a short time between 5:45 and 6:00 p.m. EDT.
This Solar Eclipse occurs one day before the 75th anniversary of Pittsburgh's original and historic Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science, America's fifth major planetarium
with the historic Zeiss II Planetarium Projector, the first such projector to be placed on an elevator. The Solar Eclipse event at the Mt. Lebanon Public Library will include a celebration
of this Buhl Planetarium milestone. More about Buhl Planetarium and its history can be found at this Internet web site:
< http://www.planetarium.cc/ > WARNING: Observing the Sun with a telescope, binoculars, or any other type of optical device should only be attempted by people who have received the proper training and
possess the proper equipment to do so safely. Should we have the opportunity to directly view this solar eclipse with a telescope
at the Mt. Lebanon Public Library, such observing
will be supervised by former Buhl Planetarium Astronomical Observatory Coordinator and Planetarium Lecturer Glenn A. Walsh.
NEVER look directly at the Sun, a solar eclipse, or a solar transit of a planet with a telescope, binoculars, or any other optical device unless you have the special training and
special equipment to do so safely. Otherwise, this would cause PERMANENT BLINDNESS INSTANTLY !
NEVER look directly at the Sun or a solar eclipse with your unaided eye. This could cause MAJOR EYE DAMAGE and POSSIBLE BLINDNESS ! Eye damage can occur rapidly,
without any pain, since there are no nerves in the eyes.
For a method of safely viewing the Solar Eclipse, check-out this Internet web site: < http://andrewcarnegie.tripod.com/solflyer2.htm >. For further questions about safely viewing the Solar Eclipse, send an electronic mail message to: < solareclipse@planetarium.cc > or telephone 412-561-7876. Friends of the Zeiss is a non-profit organization with the mission to promote the history and preservation of the historic equipment, artifacts, and building of Pittsburgh's
original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science, including the Zeiss II Planetarium Projector (prior to 2002 dismantling,
oldest operable major planetarium projector in the world !)
and the 10-inch Siderostat-type Refractor Telescope. More information:< http://www.planetarium.cc > or 412-561-7876.
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