Solar eclipse (Photo courtesy UT Arboretum Society)
The University of Tennessee Arboretum in Oak Ridge will be a viewing site for the solar eclipse on August 21.
It is estimated that the total solar eclipse in Oak Ridge will last 27 to 31 seconds at approximately 2:33 p.m. EDT August 21, a press release said.
The public is invited to view the eclipse in a clear area above the arboretum’s auditorium, the press release said. Gates will open at 1:30 p.m. for cars to park near the site. Forest Resources AgResearch and Education Center staff will direct patrons to walk to the area at the top of the hill.
The public is invited to bring chairs, blankets, and viewing devices, the press release said. Normal arboretum rules will be followed including no pets and no picnicking. People are encouraged to bring water. Restrooms will be available in the auditorium building.
For this first solar eclipse over the continental United States since 1979, Oak Ridge is one of the few cities in the path of totality in Tennessee.
Glasses won’t be available at the August 21 viewing event at the UT Arboretum, meaning you will have to buy your own.
NASA says the only safe way to look directly at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed sun is through special-purpose solar filters, such as “eclipse glasses” or hand-held solar viewers. See this NASA website page for more information.
For more information on the August 21 program at UT Arboretum, call (865) 483-7277. To learn more about the Arboretum Society, go to www.utarboretumsociety.org.
You can see our previous stories on the solar eclipse here.
Celebrating 52 years in 2017, the August 21 program at the UT Arboretum is one of many lectures and activities that will continue to be offered this year by the UT Arboretum Society, the press release said. The program is cosponsored by the UT Forest Resources AgResearch and Education Center.
The Forest Resources AgResearch and Education Center, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2014, is one of 10 outdoor laboratories located throughout the state as part of the UT AgResearch system. AgResearch is a division of the UT Institute of Agriculture. The Institute of Agriculture also provides instruction, research, and public service through the UT College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, the UT College of Veterinary Medicine, UT AgResearch, and UT Extension offices, with locations in every county in the state.
More information will be added as it becomes available.
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