Solar Eclipse to bring thousands of people to Sidney

As many as 20,000 people are expected to travel into Sidney for Monday's solar eclipse event.

With Sidney's hotels "all booked up for the event," Ed Sadler, city manager, said, the event should be a boon for the city.

"There will be people coming that day that will come through here, gas up on the way to the optimum viewing spot," he said.

While it is a large number of visitors for the city, "I don't think it's more than we can handle," Sadler said.

"There are places out there that are giving recommendations on stocking up on gas, on good, and I'm like, really? This is not a tornado, this is visitors."

The event is an exciting one, Sadler said.

"I like this kind of stuff," he said. "This is one of those once-in-a-lifetime things that's really sort of cool."

Among precautions being taken, Nebraska Department of Transportation Monday announced a travel restriction. Over-sized loads will not be able to travel on Nebraska highways and Interstate-80 from sunset Aug. 18 until sunrise Aug. 22.

Wyoming Department of Transportation has no planned closures during the eclipse, according to its website, but will temporarily halt construction work along the eclipse path.

Sidney Public Library is hosting a viewing party Monday for Sidney's elementary school students and visitors.

Safety remains a concern, especially for kids. For example, making sure they don't peek over their protective glasses, which are necessary for viewing the eclipse.

The library held a presentation on the eclipse Saturday, explaining the science of the event

Sidney will be within 95 percent of the eclipse totality, Andrew Sherman, library director, explained. The eclipse path will be 70 miles wide, and move across the Earth at 1,700 miles per hour.

The event will last roughly two minutes.

"A solar eclipse can only happen during a new moon," he said, "and that is when the moon is between the Earth and the sun."

Sherman also offered safety tips for viewing the eclipse.

Looking directly at the eclipse can cause eye damage, Sherman warned.

"If you're staring at the sun, you're doing with your retina what you do with a magnifying glass on the ground," he said. "There are no pain receptors in our eyes. If you're staring at the sun and doing damage, you're not going to feel it."

Solar eclipse glasses, which have roughly the same darkness as No. 13 welder's mask, Sherman said, are most ideal for viewing the eclipse. Shadowboxes are also easy to make.

Glasses are no longer available through City Hall, or the Cheyenne County Visitors Center.

"We ordered 1,000 glasses and gave them all away," Sadler said. "They're all gone now."

Sidney Public Library will have glasses available the day of the event for those attending its viewing party, but not in advance.

Sherman warned against trying to record the eclipse using a phone.

"If you're thinking you want to use your camera on your phone, it's the same kind of deal," he said. "Like staring at the sun, its going to direct that light like a magnifying glass, and it could melt the camera in your phone."

Most telescopes likewise are plastic and also require a solar filter. A similar solar eclipse shield is available for phones. Even using a lens from a pair of eclipse glasses should work, Sherman said.

"I tried it out with the regular sun and it seems to do pretty good," he said. "The one problem I've run into is that since the sun's so far away, there's nothing there for your phone to focus on."