Solar Eclipse Expo coming to Cape Girardeau in July

A solar eclipse, an infrequent astronomical occurrence, casts an often dazzling, eerie shadow upon the earth.

Mid-summer events have been scheduled to help local residents prepare for the next time an eclipse may be viewed in our area.

"An eclipse is one phenomenon that is actually more impressive from the ground," said Leroy Chiao, a retired NASA astronaut who flew on three space shuttle flights and lived aboard the International Space Station in 2004 and 2005.

On Saturday, Oct. 14, a partial eclipse will be visible in Missouri, while a total eclipse will be witnessed Monday, April 8, 2024.

The 2024 eclipse will feature four minutes of "totality", nearly double the length of the Aug. 21, 2017, event experienced by many who wore special eyewear in southeast Missouri.

Residents of Cape Girardeau's Saxony Village continuing care retirement community watch the solar eclipse Aug. 21, 2017. Two solar eclipse events will occur over Missouri in the next 13 months -- a "partial" on Oct. 14, 2023 and a "total" on April 8, 2024.Southeast Missourian file

Residents of Cape Girardeau's Saxony Village continuing care retirement community watch the solar eclipse Aug. 21, 2017. Two solar eclipse events will occur over Missouri in the next 13 months -- a "partial" on Oct. 14, 2023 and a "total" on April 8, 2024.Southeast Missourian file

Southeast Missouri State University plans to end its yearlong sesquicentennial celebration with next year's total eclipse.

Two events on back-to-back days in July have been scheduled on Cape Girardeau's SEMO campus to help local residents get ready for the next time the moon comes between Earth and the sun.

Organizers of Missouri Solar Eclipse Expo, a collaboration between SEMO, VisitCape, Perry County Heritage Tourism and Missouri Eclipse Task Force, will hold events to learn about eclipses and providing information on where an how to view them safely:

• 6:30 p.m. Friday, July 21, panel discussion, Get Ready for the 2023 and 2024 Solar Eclipses, will be held at a currently unspecified location on SEMO's Cape Girardeau campus. Panelists are to include a NASA representative, eclipse authority Fred Eapenak, a weather expert and a representative of Missouri Department of Tourism. No tickets are required, but seating will be limited. A virtual option is being provided for those who cannot attend in person.
• 10 a.m. Saturday, July 22, Missouri Solar Eclipse Expo will be held in Show Me Center, 1333 N. Sprigg St., with exhibits available for viewing until 5 p.m. Tickets are free with pre-registration and $3.00 at the door.

More information may be found at semoeclipseexpo.org.

Planners say funding support for the July events at SEMO is provided by Astronomical Association of Southeast Missouri, a 501(c)(3) organization.