credit: Luc Viatour / www.Lucnix.be
On Monday, August 21st, 2017, a total eclipse of the sun will be visible to people in a roughly 70-miles path across the country.
If you can travel to somewhere that will experience totality, you should. Here’s some information on the solar eclipse and where to view it in the Carolinas. The closest spots to the Triangle will be the southern North Carolina mountains or the South Carolina upstate.
But if you can’t travel to the path of totality, Morehead Planetarium and Science Center is a good place to be. It’s hosting a solar eclipse celebration on Monday, August 21st, from 12 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Check out the Facebook event for updates.
The outside activities are free, but tickets to the planetarium show are $6 and they include a pair of solar eclipse glasses to protect your eyes. When you buy your tickets you need to specify which time you’d like to see the planetarium show. Spots are filling up.
The gift shop will be selling solar eclipse glasses as well.
To look at any portion of the partial eclipse, you must use special-purpose “eclipse glasses” or hand-held solar viewers. To be safe, the viewer must meet the ISO 12312-2 international standard for these products. Read more about eye safety at eclipse.aas.org.
Festivities include:
- Live stream of the path of totality
- Games
- Solar eclipse games
- Science screen printing
- Solar eclipse crafts
- Food trucks: Chirba Chirba Dumpling and Baton Rouge Cuisine
- Planetarium show about the eclipse ($6, includes solar eclipse viewing glasses)
- Viewing the partial solar eclipse
