Millions of people around the U.S. will have the chance to experience a total solar eclipse on Monday. Nashville isn’t in the line of totality this time around, but the city — and all of Middle Tennessee — will still be treated to a pretty amazing partial solar eclipse.
During the partial eclipse’s peak — which will happen at 2:03 p.m. local time Monday — about 95% of the Sun’s face will be blocked out by the Moon. If you head outside before that, however, the partial eclipse begins at 12:44 p.m.
You can see it safely by using solar eclipse glasses. (Just be sure to get ones that say “ISO 12312-2.”) When the partial eclipse reaches its peak here, only a small sliver of the Sun will be visible through those glasses.
And yes, eclipse glasses are very important. Even when the Sun is 95% obscured, it can still do serious damage to your eyes. Never look directly at the Sun. Seriously.
If you do head outside on Monday, be sure to look for “crescent shadows.” Grab a colander and hold it up to the sunlight so it casts a shadow on the ground (or a piece of paper) in front of you. During the eclipse, instead of just the normal sunshine you’d expect to see coming through the holes in the colander, you’ll actually see bites taken out of those shadows by the Moon obscuring the Sun.
On a nice, cloud-free day, you’ll be able to see the eclipse from any backyard or park, but if you want to join others in your search for celestial wonder, you can try these events:
- The Adventure Science Center is hosting events in Nashville during the eclipse. Check them out and buy tickets.
- State parks around Tennessee are also hosting eclipse viewing parties. Find one near you.
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