The solar eclipse is coming!
Believe me — and our local astronomy community — you do NOT want to miss this extraordinary celestial event where day literally turns tonight as the moon completely blocks the sun for about two minutes on Aug. 21.
This is the ultimate in "free" experiences.
And by all accounts, a total solar eclipse is "awesome," in every sense of the word.
While the entire United States will see a partial eclipse, here in Middle Tennessee, we are in luck. With 35 countries set to experience the eclipse in totality, Nashville is the largest American city in the 70-mile wide path of the total eclipse.
In ancient days, the Chinese described the eclipse as "a dragon eating the sun." I love that image and can't wait to see this for myself!
And by the way, this really is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, since the last time a total eclipse hit this area was in 1478, and the next time one will take place here is 2566.
I admit to knowing precious little about astronomy and even less about eclipses. But I wanted to know more so I quizzed two local experts on how best to get ready for the Eclipse — Rocky Alvey, director of Vanderbilt University Dyer Observatory, and Theo Wellington, former president of the Barnard-Seyfert Astronomical Society and currently a volunteer NASA Solar System Ambassador. Read more...
Believe me — and our local astronomy community — you do NOT want to miss this extraordinary celestial event where day literally turns tonight as the moon completely blocks the sun for about two minutes on Aug. 21.
This is the ultimate in "free" experiences.
And by all accounts, a total solar eclipse is "awesome," in every sense of the word.
While the entire United States will see a partial eclipse, here in Middle Tennessee, we are in luck. With 35 countries set to experience the eclipse in totality, Nashville is the largest American city in the 70-mile wide path of the total eclipse.
In ancient days, the Chinese described the eclipse as "a dragon eating the sun." I love that image and can't wait to see this for myself!
And by the way, this really is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, since the last time a total eclipse hit this area was in 1478, and the next time one will take place here is 2566.
I admit to knowing precious little about astronomy and even less about eclipses. But I wanted to know more so I quizzed two local experts on how best to get ready for the Eclipse — Rocky Alvey, director of Vanderbilt University Dyer Observatory, and Theo Wellington, former president of the Barnard-Seyfert Astronomical Society and currently a volunteer NASA Solar System Ambassador. Read more...