Sophie Knudsen
Public Education Assistant
Green Bank Observatory
Have you heard?
This summer, you will have the chance to experience a spectacular stellar event!
On August 21, the star that brings us spring flowers, warm days by the pool, and the northern lights, a.k.a. our Sun, will be eclipsed by the Moon.
Want to see it?
You’re invited!
The Green Bank Observatory will host a Great American Eclipse viewing party.
Don’t miss out on this rare event. It’s been 26 years since a partial solar eclipse was visible from West Virginia.
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon’s orbit puts the moon directly between the Sun and Earth, casting a shadow on the Earth’s surface. This only happens during the new moon phase, but we don’t see an eclipse every month because the Moon’s orbital path around the Earth is tilted relative to the Earth’s path around the sun. A perfect alignment between Sun, Moon and Earth is needed for an eclipse.
The relative positions of the Earth and Moon matter a lot when determining whether the eclipse will be a total or partial eclipse. This eclipse is called the Great American Eclipse because across an entire narrow swath of the country from west to east, the eclipse will be total.
West Virginians will be able to see a 90 percent partial eclipse this August.
This means only 10 percent of the Sun’s light will be visible from behind the Moon.
So join us from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for a day of food, fun and education.
Hands-on Activities from 11 a.m. to noon
Lunch and Exhibits from noon to 1 p.m.
SAFE Eclipse Viewing through telescopes and projections. Plus, live streaming video of the eclipse provided by NASA.
Our Great American Eclipse lunch will be “All American” too! Two slices of pizza and a soda for $5.
The event is free so tell your neighbors.
Important Note: To safely view the eclipse with your eyes you need to use special eclipse glasses. These are super dark – much darker than sunglasses. So whether you join our eclipse party or plan to be somewhere else on August 21, you can purchase a pair of eclipse glasses for just $2 at the GBO Gift Shop. Eclipse glasses are on sale now, call 304-456-2150 for details.
For more information about our Great American Eclipse Event, please visit our website:greenbankobservatory.org/great-american-eclipse-event-green-bank-observatory/
We would love to know if you’re joining us.
Visit our Great American Eclipse event page on Facebook and let us know if you’ll be attending.
facebook.com/events/808291805996791