LIBRARY LOOKING AT SPACE

Solar Eclipse and NASA Traveling Exhibit

August 21, 2017, Lawton Ok. For the first time in 38 years, a total solar eclipse will occur across the entire continental United States, and the Lawton Public Library is preparing to share this experience of a lifetime. Along with this historic event, the library will be hosting a NASA Traveling Exhibit for the entire month of August.

The Great American Total Solar Eclipse of 2017 encompasses an area 70 miles wide that will move from Oregon to South Carolina. For sky gazers here in Oklahoma, the eclipse starts at 11:39 am. The maximum phase is at 1:08 pm and the end phase is at 2:37 pm. Weather permitting, Oklahomans should be able to observe an 82% eclipse. Additional states in which the total eclipse will be visible include Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Rose Wilson, Programming Coordinator said “You don’t want to miss this event; your next opportunity to view such an eclipse won’t be until 2024 when it takes a path across Mexico and Texas”.

A total solar eclipse is when the moon completely blocks out the sun. During these periods, it is important not to look at the sun directly without protective eye gear. Even regular sunglasses cannot keep your eyes from the damage the sun’s rays can do during this special event. To help in viewing this event, beginning August 7^th, library card holding patrons can come in and pick up a free pair of eclipse viewing glasses, at the library reference desk, while supplies last. The Library will be hosting an eclipse viewing event on site beginning at 11:30 on August 21. Refreshments will be available to participants.

The NASA traveling exhibit includes:

=         A 1/25 scale shuttle stack. While actual booster segments weighted in at 40,000-pounds, the shuttle stack feature will give visitors an up-close look at the machinery it took to loft the largest spacecraft in history into orbit. The Shuttle was designed for economical and routine access to space. The Space Transportation System includes the manned orbiter, External Tank (to fuel the Orbiter’s main engines during launch); and two Solid Rocket Boosters, which provide additional thrust during the early launch phase. The entire System, except for the External Tank, is reusable.

=         An Authentic re-entry space helmet. The helmet protects its wearer from micrometeoroids, solar ultraviolet as well as infrared radiation. It is made up of the protective shell, neck ring, vent pad and feed port. A typical astronaut helmet like those worn in the Apollo missions is made of highly strengthened polycarbonate. Polycarbonate is a high impact-resistant plastic that you can also find in bulletproof glass and exterior automotive parts. Today’s helmets have a built-in cam which allow us to see what they’re doing up there. Both the helmet and suit provide protection from the dangerously low pressure of outer space. Without them, internal pressure in the astronaut’s body will push blood vessels and tissue outward.

=         Moon rocks. From July 1969 to December 1972, 12 American astronauts explored the lunar surface. They returned with over 800 pounds of lunar material to the Earth from six different regions of the Moon. These replicas are from each of the missions (Apollo 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17) and represent the variety of rocks collected.

=         Space food. Shuttle astronauts have an astonishing array of food items to choose from. They may eat from a standard menu designed around a typical Shuttle mission of 7 days, or may substitute items to accommodate their own tastes. Astronauts may even design their own menus. But those astronaut-designed menus must be checked by a dietitian to ensure the astronauts consume a balanced supply of nutrients. The standard Shuttle menu repeats after 7 days. It supplies each crew member with three balanced meals, plus snacks. Each astronaut’s food is stored aboard the Shuttle and is identified by a colored dot affixed to each package. The food that NASA’s early astronauts had to eat in space is a testament to their fortitude. John Glenn, America’s first man to eat anything in the near-weightless environment of Earth orbit, found the task of eating fairly easy, but found the menu to be limited. Other Mercury astronauts had to endure bite-sized cubes, freeze-dried powders, and semi liquids stuffed in aluminum tubes. Most agreed the foods were unappetizing and disliked squeezing the tubes. Moreover, freeze-dried foods were hard to rehydrate and crumbs had to be prevented from fouling instruments.

This exhibit was made possible by an anonymous grant.

To be a part of history and to learn more about the space program, please visit the Lawton Public Library during the month of August!

For more information, please contact Rose Wilson, Lawton Public Library’s Programming Coordinator, at (580)581-3450 or by email at rwilson@lawtonok.gov Senior Library Associate Rachel Pierce is also available for additional information at (580)581-3450 or rpierce@lawtonok.gov.

Solar Eclipse and NASA Traveling Exhibit