TULSA, Okla. — The countdown is on for Monday's solar eclipse, and parts of southeastern Oklahoma fall in the zone of totality.
As locals and tourists gear up, experts want everyone to experience the astronomical event safely.
Tulsa Astronomy Club Vice President Jonathan Fussell said a solar telescope is one option. More practical methods include using special glasses or observing shadows.
"The first thing I recommend you do is get ISO-certified solar glasses. Another way you can do it is you can poke a hole through a piece of paper and observe the shadow on the ground," said Fussell. "Simply looking at shadows through paper or even shadows on the trees is a great way of observing the eclipse as well."
WATCH: Fussell will have solar telescopes, glasses, and plates to view the eclipse at Solar Spectacle, a watch party at Guthrie Green on Monday.
Experts say Tulsa will see about 95% coverage, Beavers Bend State Park in Broken Bow is expecting totality.
"This is probably the best place in Oklahoma. We will see over four minutes of totality right here in Beavers Bend State Park," said Oklahoma Secretary of Tourism Shelley Zumwalt. "The really exciting thing that makes it doubly as special is that we'll be surrounded by nature."
Zumwalt said over 100,000 people are flocking to the area, which is nearly 30 times its population. She said the tourists are pumping millions into the local economy each day.
"Motels, hotels, they've all been booked for months, and we'll really see a spike in that economic impact, and it won't just be Monday. It'll be the five days preceding and after, because people are really planning to spend time down here," Zumwalt said.
The Oklahoma Tourism & Recreation Department said all campsites at Beavers Bend have been booked for weeks. It asks visitors to allow for extra time on the roads, plan for long lines, and practice fire safety.
"There's always a high fire danger in southeast Oklahoma, just because, you know, it's a wooded area," said Zumwalt. "We will have the Department of Forestry down here, but be smart."
Whether you brave the crowds at Beavers Bend or take part in Tulsa's partial eclipse, Fussell says the next opportunity won't be until 2044.
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