The Smoky Mountains STEM Collaborative (SMSC), in collaboration with Jackson County Early College, is organizing a solar eclipse viewing party beginning at 2 p.m. on April 8 in the Balsam parking lot at Southwestern Community College’s Jackson Campus.
A total solar eclipse will cross Mexico, North America and Canada on April 8. While Western North Carolina (WNC) is not in the path of totality, Sylva will be treated to a partial solar eclipse with 87% magnitude. The magnitude of a solar eclipse is the fraction of the Sun's diameter covered by the Moon, which means viewers in the WNC will witness an exciting amount of coverage.
Food trucks from Iron Wok and Kona Ice will be on campus starting at noon, and viewing activities will be available from 2-4 p.m. with peak magnitude happening at 3:08 p.m. A number of solar eclipse viewing glasses will be available for guests. Rain or shine, a NASA livestream will be available nearby in Myers Auditorium.
Matt Cass, Principal Investigator for the SMSC, stresses the importance of viewing safety during the eclipse. “Here in WNC, you will need certified safe, undamaged glasses in order to view the partial eclipse. Do not stare directly into the Sun without any protective wear.”
The next total solar eclipse for the US will be Aug. 24, 2044.
To stay updated on the latest news, follow the SMSC on Facebook or contact Alex Lewis at j_lewis@SouthwesternCC.edu.
