Eclipse Viewing Party

Watch the solar eclipse with us at Goleta’s Camino Real Marketplace!*

Looking directly at a solar eclipse is dangerous, so we’re offering two cool ways to safely experience this cosmic phenomenon. Enjoy a closer view through our specially-filtered solar telescopes, and get your own pair of eclipse glasses ($2.95 plus tax, proceeds support the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History).

Drop in anytime between 7:00 and noon to ask astronomy questions and buy glasses while supplies last. The main action will take place starting at 8:03 AM, when the Moon begins to move in front of the Sun. Our best viewing will be 9:23–9:25 AM, when the 70% partial eclipse visible from our region will be most impressive. By 10:48, the Moon will have moved totally out of the way, and we’ll enjoy normal solar telescope viewing for the remainder of our party (weather permitting).

This free public eclipse viewing party in Goleta is presented by the Santa Barbara Astronomical Unit (SBAU) in collaboration with the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History’s Astronomy Programs.

Bookend your day with awe-inspiring celestial beauty: Join us in the evening at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History for a free Star Party, 7:30–10:00 PM (weather permitting). With the Sun set, our focus will be on the stars, planets, and everything in between and beyond.

*In the sunken plaza in front of Starbucks and Los Agaves

Partial eclipse photo by NASA/Norah Moran/Johnson Space Center