Solar Eclipse day won't go unnoticed at the Kentucky State Fair
Darla Carter
The Aug. 21 eclipse will not go unnoticed at the Kentucky State Fair, where special events are planned to observe the striking phenomenon and safety messages will be made over the public address system that day.
The University of Louisville and WDRB have joined forces to bring "a solar eclipse party, of sorts," to the fair, said Paula McGuffey, assistant director at UofL's Gheens Science Hall & Rauch Planetarium.
UofL will have a portable planetarium inside the North Wing lobby and an educational presentation is planned with WDRB to provide insight into the eclipse on that day.
"Being at the fairgrounds, where there's going to be thousands of people is a tremendous opportunity for us to be able to help people understand what's happening that specific day but also to learn more about what the planetarium does offer and how relevant we are," McGuffey said.
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Science might not otherwise be at the top of fairgoers' minds, but Aug. 21, there will be a coast-to-coast eclipse that will begin in Louisville at 12:59 p.m. and peak at 2:27 p.m. as the moon covers a large portion of the sun. It ends at 3:51 p.m. in Louisville, which will experience a partial eclipse.
Hopkinsville, Ky., and others within the "path of totality" will experience a total eclipse that is expected to attract thousands of eclipse chasers.
"It's just a phenomenal event," McGuffey said about the eclipse.
From 1:30 -2:30 p.m., personnel from WDRB and the Gheens Science Hall & Rauch Planetarium will be on stage in the North Wing lobby to provide details about the eclipse and answer questions from the public.
The presentation will explain "what is happening — how the earth, sun and moon have lined up for this spectacular, rare event," McGuffey said.
The eclipse will be viewable via a NASA live feed that will be shown on a "Super Screen" in the North Wing lobby, said Amanda Storment, a spokeswoman for Kentucky Venues, which oversees the fair.
Experts recommend that those who want to view the eclipse from outside wear protective glasses to keep their eyes from being damaged. Safety messages and general information about the eclipse will be announced through the fair's public address system on eclipse day and have already started going out on social media, Storment said.
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"In Louisville, Kentucky, the important thing is that people always wear their solar glasses when they look up at a partial eclipse," said Ken Alderson, president of the Louisville Astronomical Society, which has been working to educate the community about eclipse safety and has given away about 6,000 glasses.
Starting at 9 a.m. Aug. 21, fairgoers will also be able to take virtual tours of the universe at the Owsley Brown II Portable Planetarium, an inflatable structure that will be open until 2 p.m., with limited seating.
"We’ve got this wonderful software that allows us to literally take people through the universe, " McGuffey said. "We can take them from the Earth to the edges of the known universe. ... There'll be some eclipse-oriented programming integrated also."
Reporter Darla Carter can be reached at (502) 582-7068 or dcarter@courier-journal.com.
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Some places to get eclipse glasses
The gift shop at the planetarium at 106 W Brandeis Ave. on UofL's campus sells eclipse glasses for $3 each, but the supply is dwindling, so call ahead: (502) 852-6665. You might want to try on the weekend when the planetarium has shows.
WDRB will distribute glasses on various days at the fair at its booth in the North Lobby, according to the station. It also is making glasses available at Heine Brothers' and Vint Coffee locations, but they're going fast (Details:https://heinebroscoffee.com/eclipse2017).
WAVE-3 will give out glasses at the fair on Aug. 19 in the South Wing Lobby A area.
Beware of counterfeit glasses
For information about reputable manufacturers and authorized dealers of solar filters and viewers, go to the website of the American Astronomical Society:https://eclipse.aas.org/resources/solar-filters.