College of Charleston Astronomers to Host Mount Pleasant Eclipse Viewings
Mount Pleasant, SC (August 1, 2017) - In partnership with the Mount Pleasant Recreation Department, the College of Charleston will hold educational viewings for the total solar eclipse on Monday, August 21. The College will be at the following Mount Pleasant Recreation facilities: Duffy Baseball Complex, Park West Recreation Fields and Joe Gawrych Baseball Complex.
Hosted by the Department of Physics & Astronomy along with the Lowcountry Stargazers and Charleston Astronomy Meetup, these viewings are meant for amateur astronomers and passionate starwatchers. “With the high influx of visitors and schools being out for the day, the roads in Charleston could be jammed,” says Dr. Laura Penny, Astronomy Outreach Coordinator. “So rather than have the community come to us, we are going out into the community!”
Each location is open to the public and free. The eclipse will occur in the afternoon, and depending on your location, will take place between 1:10-4:10 p.m. The College of Charleston will have telescopes with safe solar filters, a limited number of eclipse glasses and expert information about the Sun, Moon and why eclipses occur. Bathrooms are located at all three facilities.
As the day approaches, please remember safety first. “Sunglasses, no matter how dark or polarized, are not safe for direct solar viewing,” says Dr. Penny. “You need glasses made specifically for looking at the Sun. These can be ordered from various online vendors.”
For more information on the College of Charleston’s educational event, please visit the CofC Eclipse 2017website. For information on the Mount Pleasant Recreation facilities, visit MtPleasantRec.com or call (843) 884-2528.