Throw a stellar solar eclipse party

With the solar eclipse coming up on Aug. 21, people are absolutely geeking out over this rare phenomenon. If you’re unable to travel to a spot within the path of totality, you still can participate in the fun by hosting your own solar eclipse party. Try these ideas for a party that’s so dazzling, you’ll have to wear shades.

Party Playlist

Crank up the music with these awesome tunes that will get the party started. And don’t forget “You’re So Vain,” in which Carly Simon sings about taking “your Learjet up to Nova Scotia to see the total eclipse of the sun.”

“Total Eclipse of the Heart” — Bonnie Tyler
“Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” — Elton John
“Fly Me to the Moon” — Frank Sinatra
“Ain’t No Sunshine” — Bill Withers
“Bad Moon Rising” — Creedence Clearwater Revival
“Can’t Fight the Moonlight” — LeAnn Rimes
“Here Comes the Sun” — The Beatles
“New Moon on Monday” — Duran Duran
“Mr. Blue Sky” — Electric Light Orchestra
“Moondance” — Van Morrison
“Walkin’ on the Sun” — Smash Mouth
“Blinded by the Light” — Manfred Mann’s Earth Band
“Dancing in the Dark” — Bruce Springsteen
“Ray of Light” — Madonna
“Wheel in the Sky” — Journey
“Blue Moon” — Elvis Presley
“Steal My Sunshine” — Len

Eclipse Tea Lights

Place a battery-operated tea light in a glass votive holder. Cut out a circle from black paper and tape it to the votive holder in front of the artificial flame of the tea light. The “moon” is now blocking the sun.

Eclipse Snacks

You’ll want tasty bites waiting for the eclipse, so have plenty of celestially themed candy on hand such as Milky Way bars, Starburst candies, Orbit gum and, of course, Eclipse gum. If you prefer savories to sweets, stock up on sunflower seeds or SunChips.

Pinhole Projector

Most people will see only a partial eclipse. But don’t be tempted to look directly at the sun — even with sunglasses — as you will damage your eyes. Instead, make a pinhole projector that will enable you to view the eclipse indirectly. Cut a hole at one end of a shoebox, tape aluminum foil over the hole and poke a hole through the foil with a nail. At the other end of the shoebox, on the inside, tape a piece of white paper. Hold the shoebox up to the sun, and an image of the eclipse will be projected onto the white paper.

Eclipse Banner

For an easy party decoration, make this banner depicting the stages of a total eclipse. Cut circles out of yellow paper, and fill these circles in with gradually larger sections of black until the black completely covers the yellow in the middle of the banner. Then fill the yellow circles with gradually smaller sections of black, showing the moon again revealing the sun. Connect the circles with a string and hang the banner on the wall.