On August 21st everyone in the US will, weather permitting, experience some part of the total eclipse of the sun. Here in Nashville, we are expecting 500,000 visitors to join us residents in watching the totality, which is expected to be a two-hour show from start to finish.
Since I forgot to buy glasses I plan on going old-school and make my own out of a Lucky Charms box. If you purchased glasses check to make sure they are ISO 12312-2:2015 solar glasses to avoid damage to your eyes. There are a lot of fakes out there (in our area, a local school district and college just destroyed thousands of dollars of non-ISO solar glasses purchased by accident).
I’ve been spending a lot of time checking out NASA’s Eclipse 101 exploring all things eclipse. You can find interactive maps and eclipse activities, enter the eclipse quilt design contest, learn about eye safety and even watch the live feed on August 21st.
Check out astrophysicist (and my sewing buddy) Natalie Hinkel explain why she loves space, the stars, punk rock, and drinking. Her enthusiasm is infectious (and is partly to blame for my own eclipse excitement)!
Did you know the Monday’s eclipse has been nicknamed the ‘Great American Eclipse’ because it will cross through the United States and no other country. Check out more fun eclipse facts and indulge in some sweet planet lollipops at the same time.
I wish I had some little ones to share the eclipse viewing with. If I did, I would get them ready for the big event with a game of Solar Bingo or by reading Dr. Seuss’s There’s No Place Like Space (sadly, minus Pluto).
Special events deserve to be remembered with special art. To commemorate the event I plan on buying a t-shirt and poster (or two) from artist, astronomer, and night sky ambassador Dr. Tyler Nordgren at Space Art Travel Bureau.
Finally, I am going to keep Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon on rotation as I watch the eclipse in all of its epic totality. I can’t think of a more perfectly suited opus to accompany the earth and sun as they perform their eclipse duet.
How about you? Are you psyched about the eclipse? Will you watch? Do you have any special eclipse viewing plans? I’d love to know…
The Grey Goddess 
love this. Natalie is the bomb!
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Hi Kimmer….are you sure a Lucky Charms box will protect you eyes? Remember you only get one set of eyes…….
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