Total Eclipse of the Carolinas
The Great American Eclipse will make its way across the country on Monday, August 21, 2017. The path of totality - where the moon completely covers the sun so that only the sun's corona can be seen - will stretch from Salem, Oregon to Charleston, South Carolina. In fact, residents of the Carolinas are in a particularly spectacular position to view this rare event.
The 2017 solar eclipse is called "The Great American Eclipse" for a lot of reasons: it's the first solar eclipse to transverse the country from sea to shining sea in almost 100 years (1918), it's the first solar eclipse to touch US soil (and only US soil) since the US first became the US in 1776, and everyone in the continental US will have at least a partial view of it. But South Carolina will have one of the best views in all 48 continental states, with the line of totality cutting through its capital city of Columbia as well as Greenville and Charleston. The southeastern US will also host the majority of the eclipse-viewing tourists in what astronomers and journalists are calling the most observed eclipse ever. Just to give you an idea of how popular the state will become, here's a population map of anticipated tourists:
So take advantage of it! At this moment, STEM is incredibly relevant and present in an astronomical way. So, rather than hunt down eclipse glasses in a sold out market, build your own eclipse viewer out of a cereal box or paper towel roll.
Most importantly, read! Every single one of our publishers has at least one new collection of space books. There's something for everyone and every interest. Here's a small sample of them:
And if you can't keep the space books on the shelf, take a look at our publishers' multi-user eBooks. Everyone can read the same book at the same time. No more tears! Also check out our databases like Rosen Digital:
But most of all, enjoy it. Even though there will be another solar eclipse in the United States only seven years from now, that path of totality will pass from Texas to Maine without directly touching the Carolinas. For most of us, having a solar eclipse pass over our homes is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Sources:
https://www.greatamericaneclipse.com/south-carolina/
https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/
