Clouds disrupt solar eclipse viewing for some in Spokane

Except during a brief clearing of clouds, children and adults were unable to view the annular solar eclipse because of gloomy weather Saturday morning in downtown Spokane.

An estimated 150 people came to the Mobius Discovery Center-hosted viewing party at the Spokane Tribal Gathering Place behind City Hall.

Attendees could still watch the eclipse on a large monitor, courtesy of a NASA livestream. Children also learned about the eclipse through educational and hands-on activities.

Couple Randy and Amanda Treadwell took their 7-year-old daughter, Evelyn, and 1-year-old son, Gavin, to the viewing party.

“I think it’s just part of skywatching in general is that you’re always going to have clouds somewhere,” Randy Treadwell said. “You either go somewhere that you don’t have them or you just have fun anyway.”

“It’s a good lesson for the kids that this might not be what we planned, but we can still have a great time,” Amanda Treadwell added.

The Treadwell family played with large bubbles, touched a sliver of Mars and made ultraviolet ray bracelets. The white bracelet beads turned from white to purple and pink when they were exposed to UV rays, which were present despite the cloudy weather.

“There’s so many different ways to get kids excited about science, and in this situation, the solar system,” said Kelly Quinn, an educator at Mobius who ran the bracelet booth Saturday.

An annular solar eclipse happens when the moon gets in the way of the sun, disrupting sunlight for a period of time.

Saturday’s eclipse will be the last annular eclipse visible in the U.S. until 2039, according to NASA.

Joe Bruce, a NASA volunteer, said at the event that a total solar eclipse is expected April 8. During that eclipse, Bruce said the moon will be at such a distance that the entire surface of the sun will be covered.

The last total solar eclipse was in 2017.