Bryan Rollins
On August 21, 2017, something will happen in the United States that hasn’t happened in a very long time. On that date will be the first total solar eclipse to occur in the U.S. since 1979, and the first eclipse in almost 100 years to cross the entire country from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean. But only 12 states will be in the 67-mile-wide path of the total solar eclipse, and that includes Tennessee. School children in this region will literally experience science in 3-D thanks to a local company.
American Paper Optics, located in Bartlett, Tennessee, is one of just five companies that the American Astronomical Society has certified as safe for use. It is the largest manufacturer of 3-D glasses in the world.
“I remember experiencing the last (partial) solar eclipse 26 years ago. I kept my viewing glasses for years,” says Jason Lee, CFO of Orion Federal Credit Union.
It is that profound effect, and the desire to give back to the community, that has prompted Orion to donate 10,000 solar eclipse sunglasses from American Paper Optics to students at the 13 schools the company has adopted in the greater Memphis area, from Downtown Elementary to Collierville Elementary.
Schools and teachers are preparing to get ready for the big solar eclipse, and many will be starting with the simple question of, “What is a solar eclipse?” The Memphis Pink Palace Museum has set up a page on its website to educate the public. It defines a solar eclipse as when the moon blocks the light of the sun to the Earth. When the moon blocks part of the sun, it is a partial eclipse. When the moon blocks all of the sun, it is called a total eclipse.
Photo courtesy of Orion Federal Credit Union
The eclipse will begin in Memphis around 11:52 a.m. It will reach its peak in this area at 1:22 p.m. However, people in this part of Tennessee are not likely to see a full eclipse, even though it will come close. The Pink Palace predicts that about 94 percent of the sun will be covered in this viewing area. The eclipse will end around 2:50 p.m. The other states in the path of the solar eclipse are Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
“During Memphis’ partial eclipse, we’ll see the bottom curve of the sun so the sun will be smiling down on Memphis but those north of the path of totality will see the upper curve of the sun or a frowny face!” says Dave Maness, Pink Palace planetarium manager.
But full eclipse or not, it is very important to never look directly into the sun. It is never safe to look at the sun with the naked eye. You can permanently damage your eye and suffer “eclipse blindness,” according to the American Optometric Association.
Photo courtesy of Orion Federal Credit Union
That’s why Randy Thompson, principal of Idlewild Elementary, is happy to receive the solar eclipse sunglasses so this once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon of viewing the solar eclipse is safe for his students, because it “will expand the science curriculum and offer experiential learning.”
But you don’t have to be a student or in a classroom to encounter what’s being called “the Great American Eclipse.” Grab a pair of proper solar sunglasses and just look up. Visit the Memphis Pink Palace Museum website at memphismuseums.org for more solar eclipse information and activities for all ages. You can also purchase certified solar sunglasses from the American Paper Optics website at eclipsesunglasses.com. A portion of the proceeds will benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Places to Gather and Gaze at the Eclipse
Eclipse Party at the Memphis Botanic Garden
11:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. Watch as the moon covers nearly the entire sun on this day of astronomical proportions! Certified viewing glasses will be for sale, an astronomer will be onsite for questions, and a craft for the kids. Concessions available. Free with MBG admission.
Total Eclipse at the Park
12 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Safely view the solar eclipse in the wide-open acres at Shelby Farms Park. Gather at the First Tennessee Foundation Visitor Center. Free and all ages are welcome. Visit shelbyfarmspark.org or call (901) 222-7275 for details.
Solar Eclipse Day at the Pink Palace
12 p.m. – 2 p.m. The Memphis Pink Palace of Museum will host an eclipse observation on its front lawn. Eclipse educators and astronomers will supervise safe viewing through telescopes. Check out a scale model solar system walk; enjoy eclipse activity tables; and view a NASA live feed of the Solar Eclipse on Planetarium lobby monitors. Free. The Pink Palace also has exhibits leading up to the solar eclipse including a display of the world’s largest pair of solar eclipse glasses; and the planetarium show, Sunstruck, which explores the Sun. Visit memphismuseums.org for details.