Apr. 5—For some, the idea of traveling across the country to spend four minutes watching a solar eclipse might sound extreme.
But for the members of TinkerMill Astronomy, the Longmont makerspace’s new club focused on appreciating the wonders of outer space, the phenomenon is more than worth the journey.
“Only if it’s seconds, it is just one of the most awe-inspiring experiences that you can possibly have,” said TinkerMill member CE Raum. “And it’s awe-inspiring, because it’s not human scale.”
Raum is one of several TinkerMill members who are driving east this weekend into the path of totality, where a full eclipse can be viewed. As of Thursday afternoon, at least nine vehicles were poised to make the road trip, with most people planning to leave Friday.
The group’s tentative destination is northern Arkansas, though Raum said everyone will keep an eye on the weather and make a final decision based on that. The team will also be taking photographs and time-lapse videos throughout Monday, but the few minutes of the full eclipse, Raum said, are “otherworldly.”
“The entire universe changes,” Raum said. “The weather changes, the light changes. You get a sense of the geometry of our solar system.”
The group isn’t going empty-handed, either — they’ll be traveling with equipment constructed at TinkerMill specifically for the eclipse. This includes paper viewing aids, hardboard Bahtinov masks for telescopes, and solar filters for binoculars.
The equipment was assembled with the makerspace’s 3D printers, woodshop and its vinyl, laser and glass cutters. Also coming along for the ride is a massive telescope that one TinkerMill member has owned since the 1990s.
On Monday, the TinkerMill squad will use five cameras of various lens sizes to shoot planets, the corona of the Sun, a daytime comet and more. Depending on how the photos turn out, Raum plans to show them in a slideshow at a public presentation later this month.
Since its inception last year, TinkerMill Astronomy has grown into one of the makerspace’s largest subgroups, with over 100 members in the Slack channel. So far, the club has hosted a few star parties at Rocky Mountain National Park as well as two “Astronomy on the Sidewalk” events at Fifth Avenue and Main Street in Longmont.
The sidewalk events invite passersby to observe the night sky through telescopes; spectators have already been able to see one of Jupiter’s moons and the International Space Station. Molly Talley, a recent addition to the club, said Astronomy on the Sidewalk is what inspired her to join.
“I was terrified of space, but we watched Jupiter through (the) telescope, and it suddenly was like, ‘This is approachable, it’s cool. I’m excited about it,'” Talley said.
Talley isn’t traveling for the eclipse, but she said the trip has generated a lot of buzz around the makerspace.
“All the different shops (are getting) involved fixing up the telescope, printing,” she said.
For several road trip participants, it will be their first time experiencing an eclipse in the path of totality. It’s a diverse group, as well, including a 12-year-old, two cats and a dog.
Raum said he’s enjoyed seeing the community engagement TinkerMill Astronomy has inspired.
“It’s been a real surprise how many people it seems to have touched,” he said.