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Michael C. Pollack
This article about the March 7, 1970 solar eclipse was published in the Sunday Telegraph on March 8, 1970. Describes observational events at the Worcester Science Center (now the Ecotarium).
There was almost no traffic in the city during yesterday’s solar eclipse. As the sky darkened, everything seemed still.
About 200 people gathered on the Worcester Science Center grounds at 200 Harrington Way to hear staff provide expert information about this spectacular event. Holden’s Aldrich Astronomical Society was on hand to guide the public.
carnival scene
“There was a bit of a carnival-like aspect to this group,” said Jackson F. Wilcox, director of the center’s Omnisphere division of astronomical displays. They were a very interested audience. You have to come out into the cold and mud. There was a soundtrack that played music to let people know how much time was left until the solar eclipse’s maximum. “The museum is still under construction, so there is some mud left.”
Wilcox was amazed at the complex devices of some amateurs. A telescope and camera rig costing at least $1,000 had been purchased. Science center staff brought telescopes and provided cardboard telescopes for those less well-off. “People were very impressed with how well they worked,” Wilcox said.
clouds brighten the sky
Other viewers brought in oddly shaped viewers gathered from home. One boy stuck his head in a big box. Others tried to reflect an image of the sun through a pinhole in cardboard. Some were disappointed. If the hole is not round, your vision will be blurred.
“People were particularly interested in how it got colder,” Wilcox said. “The temperature started at 42 degrees, dropped to 36 degrees, stayed there for more than 30 minutes, and then rose again.” In fact, during the eclipse, clouds reflected sunlight off the dark earth, brightening the sky. He pointed out.
Wilcox’s own experiment ended in failure. He hoped to discover Comet Bennett, a newly discovered comet near the Sun. “But because of the cloud layer, the scientists couldn’t see anything but the sun’s crescent. It was a little disappointing, but very rewarding just to be able to see everything.”
At Bancroft Tower on the other side of town, about 50 young people watched the eclipse from a perch. As one girl walked to the top of the tower, she repeated, “It’s so beautiful. It’s so thrilling.” Several boys quietly murmured their agreement. One boy held out a pair of welding goggles with triple lenses. Through them, the sun showed a bright orange color.
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