August 15, 2017 – Students will return for the first day of classes on Monday, Aug. 21, 2017. It is also the day of the solar eclipse. Although the SF community will not be in the path of totality, there will be a rather dramatic partial solar eclipse in the area with nearly 90% of the sun covered by the passing moon.
James Albury, the planetarium coordinator at the SF Kika Silva Pla Planetarium says that because the eclipse will traverse the entire United States, and because of social media, this will be the most observed eclipse in human history.
The SF Kika Silva Pla Planetarium has been preparing for the upcoming eclipse with a special presentation called “Eclipse: The Story of Our Nearest Neighbor in Space”. The presentation focuses on the moon covering its history, composition and mechanics.
In the Gainesville area, the eclipse will begin at 1:15 p.m. on Monday afternoon, and will be over at 4:12 p.m. Albury warns that you should not look at the sun during the eclipse due to the extreme risk of damage to your eyes. If you have special eclipse shades, or number 14 welder’s glass, you will be able to look at the sun during the eclipse.
If you would rather wait to see a total solar eclipse, Gainesville will be having one. You’ll just have to wait until August of 2045.
Learn more about the upcoming eclipse by watching James Albury co-host the PBS Series “Star Gazers”. You can also check out the SF Kika Silva Pla Planetarium page for details and a full schedule of events.