ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Saturday, October 14th an annular eclipse should be visible in the Stateline. Sarah Treadwell, NASA JPL Solar System Ambassador is celebrating the day with an event at the Nordlof Center.
Sarah Treadwell better known as Space Case Sarah is giving those in Rockford a safe way to look at the eclipse and a chance to learn about the subject in the process.
“So this one’s referred to as the Ring of Fire,” Treadwell explained. “It’s where the moon is going to be blocking just enough of the sun that you get a nice eclipse. But there’s still going to be a little bit of the sun on the edge.”
It isn’t safe to look directly into the eclipse so special glasses will be provided. There will also be an inflatable planetarium to learn more about the subject of space.
“I am very interested in promoting space science, education, STEM education, especially in my own community, because my kids go to the school systems here too. And so, you know, that’s what I really love to do,” said Treadwell.
Sarah teamed up with the Rockford Public Library to put on the event.
“To share that experience with our community and something that we don’t have a lot of around here,” said Erin Stock, an assistant librarian with the Rockford Public Library. “Just getting people to come together and seeing these cool things, having cool moments with each other, and hopefully get kids interested in science.”
Sarah is a professional science communicator. She is involved in many NASA funded projects.
“I was on an expedition for two months on the Atlantic Ocean on an Ocean Corps drilling research ship, and we were by a vent field called the Lost City Hydrothermal Field. It’s a really important field for the science of astrobiology, which is studying really extreme life and really extreme places to better understand how we might find it in the solar system,” Treadwell said.
Sarah received a NASA Scope Grant to use what she learned out at sea in a similar way to an inflatable planetarium.
“As soon as I learned about these cool things, I knew I needed to start telling other people. And there’s kind of a career for that as a science communicator. And that’s what I do,” Treadwell said with a smile.
The event will take place at the Nordlof Center from 10am-2pm. Food and drinks will be available. If interested in being a vendor reach out to the Rockford Public Library.
