DUBLIN — Bladen Community College invites the public to campus on Monday, Aug. 21, when a solar eclipse will cross the continental United States from Salem, Oregon, to Charleston, South Carolina.
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the sun and earth, and the moon fully or partially blocks the sun as seen from the earth. In a total eclipse, the disk of the Sun is fully obscured by the moon. In partial eclipses, only part of the sun is obscured.
While residents in Bladen County will see a partial eclipse of the Sun (about 97 percent), people within a 100-mile swath of the center of the track of the moon will see a total eclipse of the sun.
The last time a total eclipse of the sun crossed the United States from coast to coast was June 8, 1918. The 2017 eclipse, in either total or partial phase, can be seen by over 500 million people in North and South America, Europe, and Africa.
The public is invited to join students and staff of Bladen Community College on the grassy field beside building 6 on the east side of campus at 2 p.m. to view this extraordinary event. For your comfort, bring a lawn chair or blanket.
ISO approved viewing glasses will be supplied by the college. If you are planning to gaze at the eclipse from any location, for your safety, you must have approved eye protection.
For information, contact Lisa DeVane at 910 879-5509.