Seattle Astronomy Podcast · Greg Scheiderer

Total solar eclipse 2017 in Columbia, South Carolina

·19 min·1 clip

Greg Scheiderer explores the 2017 total solar eclipse's path across the U.S., the first since 1979.

This episode previews the total solar eclipse of August 21, 2017, focusing on viewing plans in Columbia, South Carolina. Host Greg Scheiderer interviews Tom Falvey, the education director at the South Carolina State Museum. Falvey details the museum's extensive public programming for the eclipse weekend. The museum will be open every night from Friday through Sunday, with a potential Monday recap event. Its observatory, featuring a large 12-inch Clark telescope, will be open for public viewing on those nights. A major ticketed gala is planned for Saturday night, aiming to feature special guests or lecturers. Throughout the weekend days, the museum will offer guided tours of its historic telescope collection. This collection occupies 6,000 square feet and consists of antique instruments. Columbia is the last state capital on the eclipse's path before it moves over the Atlantic Ocean. The total eclipse will be visible only within a narrow path roughly 70 miles wide. This is the first total solar eclipse to touch the continental United States since 1979. The museum is coordinating its events with the city and the local visitors bureau. The goal is to create citywide activities around the celestial event. The planned nightly observatory access provides a unique pre-eclipse stargazing opportunity. The historic instrument tours highlight a specific and extensive museum resource. Organizers hope to attract notable figures as special guests for the Saturday gala. The entire weekend is structured to build community excitement ahead of the Monday eclipse. The tone is informational and promotional, outlining event logistics for potential visitors. The style is a straightforward interview focused on practical planning details. Amateur astronomers planning to travel for the 2017 eclipse would find specific logistical information here. Listeners seeking deep scientific explanation of eclipses might find the content too focused on a single location's events.

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