Even though it's rare for Oregon skies to be clear in late October, we are crossing our fingers just in case! When the Moon is exactly lined up between the Sun and the Earth, the Moon will block the Earth's view of the sun which will cause a solar eclipse. During the eclipse it will suddenly get dark in the middle of the day for a short period of time. Actually seeing a solar eclipse is quite rare, because you have to be standing in the small shadow cast on Earth caused by the Moon. The partial solar eclipse begins at approximately 1:37pm, reaches maximum around 3pm, and ends around 4:22pm. Bring your own or purchase lunch from Trolley Cuisine food truck. Outside activities and use of telescopes is free. Regular Museum and/or Exploration Dome admission applies inside.