My Review of Lowell Observatory: “Ring of Fire” Annular Solar Eclipse Party (2023)

I have watched a solar eclipse multiple times, but I have never been to a Solar Eclipse Watch Party, let alone watched one at an observatory. You could buy your solar glasses and watch it from home, but Lowell Observatory knows how to make this celestial event even more memorable. Here is my review of Lowell Observatory: “Ring of Fire” Annular Solar Eclipse Party (2023). 

On October 14th, 2023, there was an annular solar eclipse going through most of North America. The totality would be 85% in Flagstaff. The event was scheduled from 7:30-11:30 a.m.

Parking:

We arrived at 7:00 a.m. because we heard that the event had sold out and there would be limited parking. We got lucky because we could park in the top dirt overflow parking lot.

Lining Up:

 The lines to get in were long and a little chaotic, but the staff was helpful and friendly throughout the process. I don’t think they anticipated it to be such a well-attended event. It was Parents’ Weekend at Northern Arizona University (NAU), which added to the number of people in town that weekend.

Solar Eclipse Eyewear Protection:

We went inside the gates and were given our solar glasses. You always need to make sure you have new (not used or scratched) and approved solar eye protection. Looking at the sun can cause painless but permanent damage to the eyes if you aren’t careful. 

Aren’t we styling?

Telescope Viewing:

We headed straight up to the Clark Telescope. The 24” Clark Telescope is my favorite telescope at Lowell. It’s over 100 years old and is massive. It’s truly a timeless piece of science equipment. We waited for them to set it up and saw Venus (it’s visible during the day). We even returned later that evening and saw Saturn’s rings through the same telescope. It was amazing!

We then headed to the Mars Hill overlook to check out the city of Flagstaff. What a view! The eclipse was starting, so we were able to look through another telescope and see some sunspots during the actual eclipse.

Solar Eclipse Livestream:

Lowell had a live stream going throughout the event. You could share it with friends and family, which I did. They did have some monitors set up in a few places around the campus, and you could see the live stream online and on various TV monitors while walking around the facility.

Reaching 85% Totality:

Once we got our bearings, we settled in at the Giovale Open Deck Observatory. Not only did they have other telescopes ready for viewing, but there was a lot of space in the open field to sit back and relax. We brought our lawn chairs so we could be comfortable while we watched it.

Here are some cool pinhole effects of the sunlight coming through the trees.

Photographing the Annular Eclipse:

I brought my camera to photograph the solar eclipse. I’ve never actually photographed a solar eclipse before, so it was fun to chat with other photographers around me who had tripods set up. We talked about what settings and equipment we were using. This made it a more successful photographic event. I won’t be using my photos for anything special, but I did a good job getting something decent with my 200-millimeter Tamron portrait lens and some cheap solar paper.

This shot was taken with my Canon Mark II with a 70-200mm Tamron lens with solar paper (a cheaper alternative than buying an expensive solar lens).

It was a much better alternative than this shot (pictured below) taken earlier in the day with my iPhone.

Other Exhibits & Activities:

Upon arrival, Lowell Observatory provided complimentary breakfast, snacks, and coffee. However, we had already eaten, so we decided to skip the line and enjoy the rest of the exhibits and activities, like the other telescopes and, of course, the Starry Skies Gift Shop.

Not all of their regular exhibits were open during this special event. Still, there were many spectators, and the staff looked busy getting people some great views through their telescopes and answering their questions about the eclipse. 

If you are interested in reading about Lowell Observatory’s regular day and night time programming, you can read my other post, Is Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, AZ, Worth It?

Overall, I’d highly recommend attending the Lowell Observatory for future solar eclipse events. I did feel like they made it unique and exciting rather than just being at home watching it by yourself. And that is my review of Lowell Observatory: “Ring of Fire” Annular Solar Eclipse Party (2023).