SC News

2017 Solar Eclipse

On August 21, 2017, millions of people across the United States will see a total eclipse of the Sun. South Carolina will be a significant destination for the eclipse because it will be the nearest spot within the path of totality for at least 100 million Americans in the Atlantic Seaboard and Florida.Cell phone service and smartphone Internet are expected to be unavailable inside the path of totality due to the large concentration of people. Cell phone companies will reinforce their network capacity for emergency responders. However, this will not increase capacity for commercial use. Visitors to South Carolina for the eclipse are encouraged to print paper versions of directions, lodging and restaurant reservations, and tickets to local eclipse events they plan to attend.Reputable Vendors of Solar Filters & Viewers, according to the American Astronomical Society and the National Science Foundation.

Midlands Residents in Need of Solar Eclipse Glasses: Visit a Richland Library Branch Friday

South Carolina Public Radio | By Thelisha Eaddy

Published August 17, 2017 at 11:34 AM EDT

With only days left before the total solar eclipse, the demand for solar filter glasses is high. In the Midlands, Richland Library has acquired additional glasses and will begin to distribute them Friday, August 18 at 9 AM. Community and media relations coordinator Emily Stoll says unlike the library’s first round of glasses distribution, there will be some limitations to what they can provide.

Stoll said the library was able to make a special order for the glasses through the Columbia Visitors Bureau and confirms the glasses are certified and safe to use.

“Those came from Rainbow Symphony, which is one of the five approved manufacturers for the solar glasses. So they have that NASA approved recommendation with the ISO number,” she added.

Along with a pair of the glasses, customers will also get a copy of the library’s Summer Learning Challenge Guide book which explains how to use the glasses properly.

There are 11 Richland library locations, but some are closed for renovations. “I encourage everyone to go to www.buildingyourlibrary.com to check on the status of your location,” Stoll said.