By Alesha Woods
Rowan Public Library

The excitement of the solar eclipse that will occur on April 8 has everyone talking about space and astronomy. Here in Rowan County, it is estimated that we will witness about an 80 percent partial solar eclipse. While we are not in the path of totality for the solar eclipse, there are many ways to celebrate this impressive event. Rowan Public Library has several programs throughout the month of April relating to science and space.

RPL South in China Grove is thrilled to present the N.C. Statewide “Sun and Moon” Star Party on Saturday, April 6, from 1-5 p.m. This is an official event of the 2024 North Carolina Science Festival presented by RTI International. Science and space lovers of all ages are invited to join library staff for storytelling, STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) activities, science games, sky-viewing, face painting, raffle prizes and more. Participants will have a chance to learn more about the solar eclipse happening on April 8 and the resources RPL has to offer future astronomers, future astronauts and fans of all things outer space.

Rowan Public Library has materials available for check out about solar eclipses. For children, “Eclipse” by Andy Rash is a heartwarming picture book about a boy and his dad experiencing a total solar eclipse. Another children’s book to consider is “A Few Beautiful Minutes: Experiencing a Solar Eclipse,” which is a poetic and exquisitely illustrated tribute to the solar eclipse and the magic of togetherness, seen through the eyes of a child.

For adults and teens, “Sun, Moon, Earth: the History of Solar Eclipses, from Omens of Doom to Einstein and Exoplanets” by Tyler E. Nordgren is a beautifully illustrated and lyrically written guide for all eclipse watchers and star gazers. From the astrologers of ancient China and high priests of the Maya to modern-day physicists who continue to use eclipses to confirm Einstein’s theory of relativity, this book takes us around the world to show how different cultures interpreted these dramatic events.

For details about the N.C. Statewide “Sun and Moon” Star Party event, other science-themed programs at RPL, or to find library materials about solar eclipses and space, go to www.rowanpubliclibrary.org or call 980-432-8670. The North Carolina Science Festival is presented by RTI International and produced by Morehead Planetarium and Science Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. For more information, visit www.ncsciencefestival.org.

Alesha Woods is communications associate at Rowan Public Library.