Eclipse lesson set for Aug. 17

Millions will step outside and stare up at the sun Aug. 21 about midday to witness what is being heralded as an unprecedented solar spectacle.

Unprecedented might be taking it a little too far – but it’s true that it has been 99 years since the last time such a phenomenon took place.

The Great American Eclipse will be viewable from coast to coach in the United States Monday, with 12.2 million people in the direct path of the total solar eclipse. Totality will pass north of Franklin County, but even this partial eclipse is an exciting opportunity – that’s what enthusiast Rocky Stone wants people to understand.

“We’ll have 98 percent coverage,” said Stone, who teaches math and science at Russellville High School. “It will turn dark. Birds will go to roost. You’ll be able to see Venus in the western sky, Jupiter in the eastern sky and a few other of the brighter planets … You can’t ignore it.”

But although the spectacle will be impressive, it could also be dangerous for those who are not prepared. Stone and fellow members of the Shoals Astronomy Club are aiming to make sure everyone is equipped with the proper knowledge and tools for eclipse-viewing with a presentation for the community Aug. 17.

The eclipse presentation will be held at the Russellville Board of Education meeting room at 7 p.m.

“We’ll explain what an eclipse is and why it is a big deal right now,” said Stone, who has created a thorough eclipse-centric Powerpoint, which details the solar mechanics that produce an eclipse and why they are as rare as they are. “Then we’ll go over safety procedures.” Special, NASA-approved eclipse glasses are key, of which 700 will be available free to attendees Aug. 17.

Stone said he wants people to be excited about the majesty of an eclipse – particularly those, like himself, who are traveling to the path of totality.

“The total eclipse we have coming is even more rare,” said Stone. For a brief span of time, the entire sun will be covered by the moon, and the sun’s atmosphere will be visible.

“That two minutes is magic,” Stone said. “I encourage people not to try to take pictures and stuff like that. Just enjoy that two minutes of time that they will have to view the solar eclipse. Hundreds of millions of people will taking pictures – every astronomical club is going to be photographing the eclipse, more magnificent photos than you will ever get on your iPhone.”

“While the sun is actually about 400 times larger in diameter than the moon, the moon is also about 400 times closer than the sun. Therefore, the sun and the moon appear to be about the same size in our sky,” as explained by www.greatamericaneclipse.com.

“This single fact explains why we see total solar eclipses. The Moon has an apparent size that just barely covers the sun completely yet is not too large that the sun’s atmosphere, its corona, is eclipsed as well. We on Earth occupy a celestial sweet spot to witness this sight.”

Stone has been planning his eclipse trip for more than a year. He first booked a hotel room “in the dead center of the path of totality,” in Tennessee, but then he became worried about the possibility of a cloudy sky and being tied to his spot. Now he plans to park an RV in a Methodist church parking lot across the state line into Kentucky.

He will make an eclipse presentation to a gathering at the church Sunday afternoon, and Monday he will view the eclipse from the parking lot – unless it’s cloudy.

“I told (the pastor), ‘I will come and do the program Sunday afternoon, but if the forecast is even partly cloudy for the next day, I will be gone. I will be traveling to a point where the forecast is for clear skies,” he said. “I’ll move wherever I have to go.”

Eclipse glasses have been made available for every RCS student thanks to a donation by Connie Cole, according to RCS’ Twitter feed.

Russellville City Schools will be in session all day Aug. 21, and Central Office wants to make sure parents and community members are aware of the precautions being taken to ensure the safety for each student and faculty member during the event.

• RCS has ordered NASA approved glasses for all students.
• While outside, students will be required to wear the solar eclipse glasses the entire time. There will be no outside activities or class changes for a period of time during the eclipse.
• Each school’s principal will develop instructional viewing plans and approve any solar eclipse viewing and the required procedures.
• Teachers will discuss the hazards of viewing a solar eclipse without proper eyewear. Also, RCS would like to encourage parents to discuss and reinforce the hazards of viewing a solar eclipse without proper eyewear.
• Parents will receive an Authorization/Release form from the school regarding the event. Parents may choose for their child to opt out of any viewing activity.

“At RCS, we believe this is a great educational opportunity for our students, which is one of the reasons we want them to be present at school when this takes place,” Superintendent Heath Grimes said. “We also believe with the precautionary safety measures we have in place, this will be the best option for making sure all students have the option of viewing the eclipse safely, or, if parents choose, be kept inside while the event occurs.”

Parents and community members are invited to join their child at their school to share in this historic event if they choose to do so.