Solar Eclipse

Eclipse at the Bell Museum

Join our astronomy team at the Bell Museum for opportunities to view two solar eclipses.

We’re wrapping up a Solar Big Year with a total solar eclipse in 2024!  A total solar eclipse is when the Moon completely blocks the Sun.

Join us at the Bell for a special open Monday to celebrate Minnesota’s partial view of the eclipse on Monday, April 8, 10am-4pm. The eclipse will be at its peak at about 2:00 pm, and we’ll see about 75% coverage here in Minnesota. Throughout the day, we’ll have a plethora of solar focused activities, a livestream of the eclipse, a new eclipse flipbook pattern, and expert astronomy staff to answer all of your solar questions!

Please note: we’re unable to control the clouds — if the weather is poor on the day of the eclipse, we’ll still have a day of sun-focused activities!

Please be aware that we expect large crowds. All children under 18 must be properly supervised. Our guideline is at least 1 adult per 8 children.

This is a public event and we are not accepting group visits for our eclipse programming. We will not be able to accommodate buses, and do not have the infrastructure and staffing to support group needs on this day.

Please see our educator resources page for ideas on how to learn about and watch the eclipse with your class from your school!

Educator Resources

 

In-Person Activities

Sun
Find additional solar observing dates at the Bell Museum
Solar observing

 

  • Planetarium shows
    Ticketed

    Check out a planetarium show about eclipses! 

    10:30 AM

    Totality

    11:30 AM

    The Sun: Our Living Star 

    12:30 PM

    Totality

    1:30 PM

    NO SHOW

    2:30 PM

    The Sun: Our Living Star 

     

  • Outdoor activities
    Free

    Big Sun, Small Moon
    How does the Moon completely block out the Sun during a total solar eclipse? Is it science? Math? Coincidence? Or ALL THREE? Find out by modeling how the Earth, Sun, and Moon line up, while you wait in line at the telescopes!

    Ask our Experts!
    Stop by our interpretation station to ask our experts all of your burning questions about the Sun, the Earth, and everything in between!

    Sun Safety — Make a UV Detector
    How can you protect yourself from the Sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays? We’ve all heard that sunscreen and Sun protective clothing can keep your skin safe, but at this station you’ll see just how well these and other methods work using UV-light sensitive beads. 

    Pinhole Projection Station
    Sunlight going through any small hole projects a clear outline of the eclipse onto a flat, light colored surface. We’ll get creative by using everyday objects to safely see the eclipse.  Remember: NEVER look at the sun through the holes!

    Solar Observing
    While we’re safely watching the Moon cover the Sun, it’s a good time to see what’s happening on the Sun’s surface! With solar filters on our telescopes we’ll see if there are any good sunspots showing up on this eclipse day.

  • Come inside the museum
    Included in gallery admission

    Eclipse Flip Book
    Make your own flip book of the path of the eclipse in our skies to commemorate the day!

    Investigate Eclipses
    Explore how eclipses occur by getting hands-on with a giant model of the Sun, Moon, and Earth!

    Streaming the Eclipse
    We won’t see the full, total eclipse outside in Minnesota — but inside, we’ll be streaming a view of the eclipse from one of its peak locations!

    Visit Our Galleries! 
    Minnesota Journeys and the temporary exhibit Moments of Memory: Minnesota Landscapes Painted from Life will be open.

Solar safety

  • Our telescope equipment utilizes safe Sun viewing methods; filtering the sunlight and projecting the sunlight.
  • Solar filters include white light filters that block 99.999 percent of incoming sunlight, safely allowing us to see any sunspots that might be visible.
  • H-alpha SolarMax II telescope filters out all the colors of sunlight except a specific red light (656nm) to allow us to see features such as solar prominences along the edge of the Sun.
  • Sunspotters use a different method to safely view the Sun. They utilize mirrors and lenses to project the Sun safely onto a screen (piece of paper). You can draw/trace your own Sun and sunspots to start your own solar data log.

Parking

  • Paid surface lot parking, managed by UMN Parking & Transportation Services, is available with an entrance off of Larpenteur Ave. The daily rate is $6. Note: The parking fee is waived for any vehicle in the lot under 10 minutes. Pay stations only accept credit cards.
  • The St. Paul campus circulator is a complimentary bus that runs every 20 minutes and drops off in front of the Bell. Please see the website for route and stop details.
  • A complimentary, accessible shuttle will be traveling between these off-site locations and the Bell entrance from 10am–4pm.
    • UMN Lot #101
      2065 Commonwealth Ave, Falcon Heights
      (paid parking)
    • UMN Lot #171
      1532 Cleveland Ave N, St. Paul
      (paid parking)
      Shuttle will pick up on the corner of Cleveland and Dudley
    • UMN Lot #175
      2067 Dudley Ave, St. Paul
      (paid parking)
      Shuttle will pick up on the corner of Cleveland and Dudley

 

Minnesota’s Astronomy Classroom programming is generously supported by

Text: WEM Foundation