GREAT AMERICAN ECLIPSE OF AUG. 21, 2017 RESOURCES FOR
THE UNIV. OF LOUISVILLE AND COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY
Let's hope that there are no clouds!

 by Gerard Williger, Assoc Prof of Astronomy

There are many resources available.  Here are a few.   It's worth going to the path of totality if at
all possible, because the experience is totally different.  There, you will see the sun's corona, twilight in the sky, some
bright stars and planets, the birds and insects will quiet down and it will get cooler.
If you only see a partial eclipse, the sky brightness will get down to that of a cloudy day but no more.

The eclipse centerline crosses into Kentucky about 15 miles NE of Paducah and
exits Kentucky about 10 miles west of Franklin -- both in the CENTRAL time zone (CDT). 
Here are eclipse partial and total eclipse start/end times for a few key places in Kentucky/Tennessee. 
Although Hopkinsville has a few more seconds of totality than other places, note that most any place
in the middle half of the path of totality will be good -- and is likely to have less traffic.
Use the interactive map below to get more precise numbers!


                                           PARTIAL        <-----TOTALITY---->        PARTIAL
                                            start               start              end                end             ALL TIMES ARE *CENTRAL*  DAYLIGHT TIME!
Salem OR                         11:05:24am   12:17:18pm 12:19:16pm     1:37:51pm -- close to landfall of eclipse on Pacific coast, watch on Internet
 Paducah KY                     11:54:01am    1:22:16pm   1:24:35pm      2:49:31pm
Mike Miller Park KY      11:54:41am    1:23:03pm   1:25:17pm      2:50:12pm
Madisonville KY              11:56:15am    1:24:32pm   1:26:26pm      2:50:56pm
Hopkinsville KY              11:56:31am    1:24:41pm   1:27:21pm      2:51:43pm
Franklin KY                     11:58:33am    1:26:51pm   1:29:17pm      2:53:24pm
Sanders Ferry Park TN  11:58:49am    1:27:26pm   1:29:51pm      2:54:10pm
Charleston SC                  12:17:33pm   1:46:15pm   1:48:11pm      3:10:00pm -- close to exit of eclipse from US on Atlantic coast, watch on Internet

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Louisville (partial!)        12:59:24pm     ----------------------------      3:51:59pm  *EASTERN* DAYLIGHT TIME
The maximum of the partial eclipse in Louisville is 96% at 2:27:44pm.

USEFUL LINKS, INCLUDING SPS INFORMATION FOR T-SHIRTS AND ECLIPSE GLASSES

American Astronomical Society Eclipse Page - many resources on eye safety, taking pictures, events etc.!
U. of Louisville Dept. of Physics & Astronomy eclipse website -- see the top center panel with the changing
articles, and wait for or click through to the 2017 - total solar eclipse link.  See for citizen science projects, NASA's eclipse site etc.

A 45-50 minute talk on the 2017 eclipse by Fred Espenak (NASA's Mr. Eclipse, retired) for the 2016 Bullitt Lecture in Louisville is on YouTube here.

A 25 minute talk (audio file plus slides) which I gave in May is here.  There is also another set of files by my student, Nick Duong, on asteroids.

U. of Louisville Society of Physics Students Facebook page (for eclipse-watch information with students/faculty/staff), and their
SPS Eclipse Facebook page with *INFORMATION FOR T-SHIRT SALES AND ECLIPSE GLASSES RESERVATIONS*.

 Statements on safe eclipse-watching and eye safety by opthamologists, the American Astronomical Society and NASA:
https://eclipse.aas.org/eye-safety - AAS
https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/safety - NASA

That messaging has been endorsed by the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Academy of Optometry, and the American Optometric Association, the first and last of which have put out their own safety messages that encourage people to go outside and watch the eclipse — safely:

https://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/solar-eclipse-eye-safety
https://www.aoa.org/patients-and-public/caring-for-your-vision/2017-solar-eclipse?sso=y

Use eclipse glasses all the time outside of the totality path and all except during 100% totality (2.5 minutes or less) in the path of totality - U. Louisville Opthamology



WHERE TO GET ECLIPSE GLASSES IN LOUISVILLE
17 Aug 2017, 12:20pm: Eclipse glasses appear in short supply in Louisville.  The Rauch Planetarium is SOLD OUT.
The SPS  supply is SOLD OUT.    At this point, I would encourage you to get your
own in these ways:
1) Go to any Heine Brothers' Coffee in the Louisville area.  They are free with any purchase (like coffee) or you
are asked to make a $1 donation to the Kentucky Science Center.
2) Kroger supermarkets may still have some for about $2/each.  The one at 2440 Bardstown Rd had some on Aug. 11.
2) Go to the WAVE-3 event on Aug. 19 at the KY State Fair, where some eclipse glasses will be given out.
Eclipse-watching for  UofL students, faculty, staff and their families/guests:
Mike Miller Park, Benton/Draffenville (Marshall County) KY.  Bring water, a picnic, sunscreen, chairs/blankets, cameras/tripods,
something for shade, games etc. No alcohol allowed.  There are drinking water, bathroom and recreation facilities.  
Activities start at 10am CENTRAL Daylight Time.
Sponsored by the Society of Physics Students

 REGISTER FOR THE MIKE MILLER PARK EVENT for UofL students, faculty, staff and their families, hosted by the Society of Physics Students -- also the page for registering SPS t-shirt  interest no matter where you go for the eclipse.  Eclipse glasses



Eclipse-watching for UofL alumni and their families/guests:


Hendersonville TN - Sanders Ferry Park, Pavilion #8. Bring water, a picnic, sunscreen, chairs/blankets, cameras/tripods,
something for shade, games etc. There will be corn hole courtesy of OSU and perhaps some other games - bring them if you
have them!  There is also food for purchase with a lunch reservation deadline of NOON FRIDAY Aug. 18  - see the sign-up links below.  No alcohol allowed.
There are drinking water, bathroom and recreation facilities.
Sponsored by the UofL Alumni Club of Nashville
REGISTER FOR THE NASHVILLE ECLIPSE EVENT at www.UofLalumni.org/solareclipse
ALSO on the Ohio State side at https://midtn.alumni.osu.edu/event
Timetable - CENTRAL Daylight Time:
9pm Sun Aug 20 - star party hosted by UofL astronomer Gerry Williger (or talk on astronomy in case of clouds), Sanders Ferry Park, Pavilion #8; park closes at 11pm
10am Mon Aug 21 - early picnic set-up activities at Pavilion #8
11am - talks about the eclipse and astronomy at UofL and Ohio State, follow the eclipse via Internet coming from the Pacific coast, watch partial eclipse begin in the sky
11:05am - partial eclipse begins in Salem OR (watch on Internet), partial eclipse arrives on US mainland
11:58am - partial eclipse begins at Sanders Ferry Park
12:17pm - total eclipse begins in Salem OR (watch on Internet), total eclipse arrives on US mainland
1:27-29pm - TOTAL eclipse at Sanders Ferry Park
1:46-1:48pm - total eclipse in Charleston SC (watch on Internet), total eclipse leaves US mainland
2:54pm - partial eclipse ends at Sanders Ferry Park
3:10pm - partial eclipse ends in Charleston SC (watch on Internet), partial eclipse leaves US mainland
after 2-3pm - keep picnicking, leave when you like -- remember that traffic will be heavy!

Wherever you go for the eclipse, traffic will be heavy.  Please ride-share with Zimride-Louisville
(for the UofL community) or another ride-sharing scheme like ridesharing.com


another possible eclipse-viewing site: Madisonville KY - The UofL Alumni Club of Madisonville may gather to watch the eclipse, though the city
of Madisonville itself is providing the program

OTHER USEFUL INFORMATION

Interactive map of eclipse details (totality duration or percentage of totality, start/stop times etc.) by Xavier M. Jubier.

Eclipse weather statistics from Washington DC radio station WTOP
Eclipse weather statistics from www.eclipse2017.org

What schools and universities are doing for the eclipse - Washington Post, 8 Aug 2017

Jefferson County Public Schools (KY) allow excused absences to go to the totality zone - Louisville Courier-Journal, 8 Aug 2017

Skipping for science: Students petition to cancel class for eclipse - Missouri State Standard, 8 Aug 2017

Coastal Carolina students petition to cancel classes for eclipse - WAVE-3 TV, Louisville, 9 Aug 2017

Kansas State to suspend class attendance policy for the rare natural event of an eclipse - K-State Today, 30 Jun 2017 (Provost April Mason)

Flights on many airlines through the eclipse on Aug. 21 - Sten Odenwald, NASA High End Computing Center

Southwest Airlines flights through the eclipse on Aug. 21 - see it from the air!

More than spectacle: eclipses can create science, and so can you - AP, Seth Borenstein, 14 Aug 2017

Everything you want to know about the solar eclipse (compendium of stories) - Washington Post

Eclipses through history from timeanddate.com

History of total solar eclipses in the United States since 1867 - Christopher C. Burt, meteorologist and eclipse specialist

The Schaeberle 40 foot (length) Eclipse Camera of Lick Observatory -- Eclipse Observations over 1882-1932, Eddy 1971, J. Hist. of Astronomy, 2, 1

Airfares to eclipse are astronomical - Washington Post, 9 Aug 2017

Why some say the eclipse is best enjoyed in a massive crowd - NY Times, 15 Aug 2017

The Great American Eclipse traffic jam - did the media and schools/universities wake up too late? - americaneclipseusa.com

Selected Eclipse Videos/News from Past -- Some with Messages to 2017 in Future

1925 Jan 24, British Pathe newsreel (probably New York area, 6.5', silent)
1925 Jan 24 - Observers Lined Manhattan to Measure the Eclipse, Sarah Levin, 11 Aug 2017, space.com
1932 Aug 31, Universal newsreel (New England, 30")
1963 Jul 20, Universal newsreel (Manitoba, 1')
1970 Mar 7, CBS News (10', 1 of 6, 60' total, Charles Kuralt)
1979 Feb 26, ABC News (OR-WA-MT, 10', Frank Reynolds)
1979 Feb 26, CBC (Brandon MB, 2', includes astronomer Jay Pasachoff)
1979 Feb 26, CBC (Winnipeg MB, 38', Bill Guest & Robert Ballantyne)
1991 Jul 11, WBZ, WCVB,  WHDH, ABC News, NBC News (Hawaii, Mexico, 23')
1999 Aug 11, BBC (England, 7.5', Michael Buerk with Sir Patrick Moore)