Limited number of eclipse glasses available on campus

Approximately 1,000 pairs of solar eclipse glasses will be distributed to participants of Augusta University’s Solar Eclipse Community Symposium Friday. At the end of the symposium, glasses will be given to attendees using a ticket system on a first-come, first served basis. Because glasses can easily be shared, and because we want to keep as many people safe as possible, no more than two glasses per family will be distributed.

Don’t be alarmed when the moon’s shadow swallows the sun on Aug. 21. It’s not the end of the world (or at least, we’re pretty sure it isn’t). It’s just a solar eclipse.

If you haven’t seen one before (and chances are good you haven’t), you owe it to yourself to find the right protective gear and a great spot to plop yourself down and watch. Total solar eclipses are one of nature’s most fascinating and beautiful occurrences. They’re also extremely rare.

But what are they? Why do they happen? And why have people historically been so terrified of them?

Augusta University will host two Solar Eclipse events to answer those very questions.

On Friday, Aug. 18, the university will host a Solar Eclipse Community Symposium from 5:30-7:30 p.m. The symposium will feature a series of three short presentations about the upcoming eclipse, including ways to safely view it, the science behind eclipses and eclipses in history. Solar telescopes will be set up at the event to view the sun and sunspots from 5:30-6:30. Guests are encouraged to bring their own solar telescopes if possible.

A limited number of eclipse glasses will available at the end of the symposium using a first-come, first-serve ticketing system. (Didn’t get a pair? Note that normal outdoor activities during the eclipse are safe as long as you are not looking at the sun, but looking at the sun even briefly—for more than half a second—without proper filtering will damage your vision. Projecting the image through a lens or pinhole onto paper or a screen, however, is safe.)

On Monday, Aug. 21, the university will host a Solar Eclipse Celebration from 2-4 p.m. at the Maxwell Theatre. This event will provide free sun-safe glasses for the community and opportunities to view the eclipse through solar telescopes. A livestream of the eclipse from the path of totality (the location where the moon covers the sun completely for the longest amount of time) will also be shown.

Both events will take place at the Maxwell Theatre on the Summerville Campus. Contact Dr. Tom Crute, chair of the Department of Chemistry and Physics, for more information.