MILWAUKEE COUNTY

Where and how to watch Great American Eclipse in southeastern Wisconsin

Meg Jones
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Yes, it's a bummer Wisconsin won't be in the path of totality of Monday's Great American Eclipse and the sky won't turn dark here in the middle of the day.

Some cheeseheads are leaving the state and driving somewhere along the eclipse route stretching from Oregon to South Carolina. But if you can't leave and want to see the eclipse, there are plenty of viewing events in the Milwaukee area.

As the shadow caused by the moon passing in front of the sun races at upward of 2,400 mph across the U.S., millions are expected to clog the 70-mile-wide path of totality, prompting warnings of shortages of gasoline and food in small communities that will be overwhelmed by visitors and porta-potties.

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Eclipse glasses are selling like hotcakes, a one-day eclipse-viewing Amtrak train from Chicago to Carbondale, Ill., sold out in less than 24 hours and even the U.S. Postal Service has gotten into the act, issuing a first-of-its-kind stamp featuring a picture of a total solar eclipse. Printed with thermochromic ink, the stamp reveals a second image of the moon when a finger is pressed to it, and a sheet of 16 Forever stamps features a map of the eclipse path. Those, too, are big sellers.

On Thursday, the Milwaukee Public Museum, after its supply of eclipse glasses sold out, issued tricks to observe the eclipse including making a tiny hole in a piece of white paper and holding it up to another bright flat surface while standing with your back to the sun. Looking at the sun without protection - sunglasses are not enough - can seriously damage retinas.

Depending on your location in Wisconsin, the eclipse will start shortly before noon with the peak viewing time a few minutes after 1 p.m. In Milwaukee, the eclipse starts at 11:53 a.m., peaks at 1:18 p.m. when 83% of the sun is covered, and ends at 2:40 p.m.

Since Wisconsin isn't in the path of totality, the difference will be literally like night and day. If you're indoors it might look overcast. But outdoors shadows will look a bit weird. Everywhere the sun casts a shadow or glows through holes, it produces a tiny image of itself. When the sun starts to look like a crescent as the moon slides across during the eclipse, it will distort shadows and look strange. Even the sun shining through leaves will cast unfamiliar crescent images.

Anyone can walk outside in Wisconsin and stare up at the sun while wearing protective eclipse glasses, but if you'd like to be with a group of eclipse junkies, here are a few places in southeastern Wisconsin to watch the eclipse.

- University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is offering a NASA-sponsored viewing event next to the Kenwood Interdisciplinary Research Complex, 3135 N. Maryland Ave., with live music from the Belle Weathers, food and beverages, lawn games and raffles. A $5 donation is suggested. Eclipse viewing glasses will be for sale. Also UWM's theatrical production, The Sun's Disappearing Act, which explores the science, history and culture of solar eclipses, will be performed at 11:15 a.m. and 2 p.m.

- The Milwaukee Public Museum is scheduling a solar eclipse day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. featuring special telescopes to see the sun, educational displays, a live feed of the eclipse from NASA and dome theater shows and planetarium programs.

- Milwaukee Public Libraries are offering free eclipse glasses while supplies last on Monday. Some branches are offering eclipse programs including solar story time from noon to 2 p.m. at the Capitol branch, 3969 N. 74th St., an eclipse tour from noon to 2:30 p.m. at the Central Library, 814 W. Wisconsin Ave. with tours every 15 minutes to the library's roof, and games and food trucks at the Mill Road branch, 6431 N. 76th St.

- Whitefish Bay Library's community viewing party starts at 12:45 p.m. at the kids' south tower, 5420 N. Marlborough Drive, before folks walk over to Schoolhouse Park to see it. Eclipse glasses for the first 100 people will be available.

- Mequon Library, 11345 N. Cedarburg Road, is offering crafts and story time linked to the eclipse, plus a rocket obstacle course between noon and 3 p.m. Visitors are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, blankets and picnic lunches.

- Wehr Nature Center, 9701 W. College Ave., Franklin, will offer an open-house program from noon to 2 p.m. with information about the eclipse, safe viewing techniques and a telescope equipped with a solar filter. 

- Pringle Nature Center, 9800 160th Ave., Bristol, will provide a sun spotter to see the eclipse and project NASA's live stream of the eclipse if it's cloudy. Pinhole viewers will be available for $2.