The day Cola goes dark šŸŒ“

Total Solar Eclipse

Photo courtesy Total Solar Eclipse Weekend

Total Solar Eclipse 101: Are you ready? šŸŒ—

On Monday, August 21 at 2:41 p.m., Columbia will go dark for 2 mins + 36 secs for the Total Solar Eclipse. Thatā€™s less than two months away. Hereā€™s what you need to know. ā¬‡

Total solar eclipse āž” when the moon šŸŒ‘ moves directly between the Earth šŸŒŽ + the Sun šŸŒž ā€“ and the entire Sun is covered by the moon, which casts a path of the darkest of shadows on Earth. You must be in this path ā€“ a.k.a. the path of totality, running diagonally across the U.S. from Oregon to S.C. ā€“ to witness the eclipseā€™s most dramatic effects ā€“ and Cola is smack-dab in the middle of that path in S.C.

The path starts in Oregon at ~1 p.m. EDT + will travel 1,000 MPH, exiting the U.S. via Charleston, S.C. at 2:49 EDT.

What will happen: ā¬‡

šŸŒ“ 1:13 p.m. āž” partial eclipse begins | sky darkens gradually, then very suddenly

  • youā€™ll need protective glasses to view the partial eclipses before + after totality šŸ˜Ž

šŸŒ‘ 2:41 āž” total solar eclipse begins | 100% total darkness for 2 mins + 36 secs

  • 360-degree sunset around the entire horizon
  • stars + bright planets like Mars, Venus, Mercury & Jupiter become visible šŸŒŸ
  • a corona of light ā€“ or ā€œdiamond ringā€ šŸ’ ā€“ circles the sun
  • temperature drops 5-15 degrees
  • nocturnal animals emerge

šŸŒ— 2:44 p.m. āž” after 2 mins + 36 secs, total eclipse is over āž” now, another partial eclipse

  • birds chirp as if itā€™s daybreak šŸ¤
  • resume wearing protective glasses

šŸŒ• 4:06 p.m. āž” sun no longer obscured by the moon at all; eclipse is over + total daylight returns

Why itā€™s a huge deal: ā¬‡

šŸŒ– Cola is the third largest U.S. city on the centerline of the path of totality + will experience the longest 100% total eclipse on the East Coast for a metro area

šŸŒ— ā€œClose is not close enough.ā€ āž” Greenville will only see 2 mins + 10 secs of totality; Charleston will only see 1 min + 30 secs

šŸŒ— Most of the U.S. will only experience a partial eclipse

šŸŒ˜ This is the first total solar eclipse in mainland United States since 1979 ā€“ and the first total solar eclipse to make a coast-to-coast path across the U.S. since 1918

šŸŒ˜ It will be the last eclipse visible in Cola until 2078. Talk about once in a lifetime.

šŸŒ— S.C. could see up to 1 million visitors; named as an eclipse destination by Thrillist just yesterday; plus in USA Today, Forbes + Washington Post

From the experts at UofSC, DYK? ā¬‡

šŸŒ– The Sunā€™s corona (Latin for ā€œcrownā€) will be visible with the naked eye during the period of totality. And you donā€™t need to wear special glasses to see it! -Dr. Steven Rodney

šŸŒ— The early Chinese word for eclipse meant ā€˜to eatā€™ or ā€˜to swallow.ā€™ The idea was that a supernatural being was swallowing the moon or the sun during an eclipse. It was considered a bad omen. -Michael Weisenburg

šŸŒ˜ Total solar eclipses wonā€™t happen forever on Earth... in ~500 million years, the moon will appear small enough that it wonā€™t completely obscure the sun during a solar eclipse. -Dr. Varsha Kulkarni

August 21st is shaping up to be totally out of this world ā€“ and ā€¢everyā€¢ Cola establishment wants to host you at their far-out viewing parties. Check out the full list of where to watch here.

Iā€™m having a majorly hard time deciding between the Total Eclipse of the Park at Spirit Communications Park, the Solar 17 Lake Murray viewing festival at the dam, the Super VIP Lunch & Viewing Party with an open bar at Motor Supply Co. Bistro and the Historic Eclipse in the Gardens at the Robert Mills House. Maybe scientists will develop cloning technology in the next two months so I can fulfill all of my wildest total Colar eclipse dreams. šŸ˜Ž

ā€“ Beth

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