Music City Eclipse

8/19/2017

Nashville is the place to be on Monday, August 21st, 2017, when the total solar eclipse rolls into town at 1:27pm. Lasting only TWO MINUTES and as the first total eclipse to sweep the entire United States in 99 years, this is something you won't want to miss! Read on to learn more, including where, when and how to watch this magical event in Music City.

What is a solar eclipse?

If you're like me, you may not fully understand what a solar eclipse is and all that it entails. Before Monday, I wanted to freshen up on my solar eclipse knowledge, starting with my understanding of a total solar eclipse. According to NASA's website, a total solar eclipse is when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, completely covering the sun.
According to www.timeanddate.com, a complete solar eclipse has 5 phases:

Partial eclipse begins (1st contact): The Moon starts becoming visible over the Sun's disk. The Sun looks as if a bite has been taken from it.
Total eclipse begins (2nd contact): The entire disk of the Sun is covered by the Moon. Observers in the path of the Moon's umbra may be able to see Baily's beads and the diamond ring effect, just before totality.
Totality and maximum eclipse: The Moon completely covers the disk of the Sun. Only the Sun's corona is visible. This is the most dramatic stage of a total solar eclipse. At this time, the sky goes dark, temperatures can fall, and birds and animals often go quiet. The midpoint of time of totality is known as the maximum point of the eclipse. Observers in the path of the Moon's umbra may be able to see Baily's beads and the diamond ring effect, just after totality ends.
Total eclipse ends (3rd contact): The Moon starts moving away, and the Sun reappears.
Partial eclipse ends (4th contact): The Moon stops overlapping the Sun's disk. The eclipse ends at this stage in this location.

Who can see it?

Everyone in the U.S. will be able to see at least a partial solar eclipse, while only fourteen states will be able to experience a total solar eclipse. The total solar eclipse transpires along what is called the thin path of totality. The image below, courtesy of NASA's website, depicts the path of totality. The first point of contact will start at approx. 9:05am PDT in Lincoln Beach, Oregon, with totality following at 10:16am. The total solar eclipse will then hit the following states: Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, and North and South Carolina.

Image courtesy of NASA.gov

What is Nashville's Schedule?

To all my Nashvillians, below is the schedule that you will want to keep in mind. Remember, the TOTAL solar eclipse lasts only TWO MINUTES. Thus, you'll want to be prepared!

ECLIPSE BEGINS: 11:58am CDT
TOTALITY BEGINS: 1:27pm CDT
TOTALITY ENDS: 1:29pm CDT
ECLIPSE ENDS: 2:54pm CDT

How to Safely View the TOTAL Solar Eclipse

Please visit NASA's website to understand how to properly view the total solar eclipse. According to NASA, you never should look directly at the sun without the proper eye protection while viewing the solar eclipse, except during totality. Proper protection includes NASA certified solar eclipse glasses, as you can see below:

Images courtesy of nasa.gov

Where to Watch the Solar Eclipse

Courtesy of www.visitmusiccity.com, below details several places in Nashville where you can watch the solar eclipse.

For more information on viewing parties, please visit: www.visitmusiccity.com

Remember to be safe and to enjoy this once in a lifetime opportunity!

xx,
ILA

SOURCES:
NASA. Eclipse: Who? What? Where? When? and How? www.nasa.gov
Total Solar Eclipses. timeanddate.com
Visit Music City. Nashville Solar Eclipse 2017. www.visitmusiccity.com/eclipse

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