It may be winter now, but big plans are being made for this summer, when portions of South Carolina will see something that hasn’t occurred here in nearly a century: a total solar eclipse. NASA has estimated nearly one million people will come to the Palmetto State to view this exciting phenomenon. Midlands tourism spokesperson Kelly Barbery says Columbia is well positioned to get the longest exposure to the eclipse – just over two and a half minutes – and as the third largest city in America in the eclipse’s path, it is preparing activities for the many visitors it expects.
At the South Carolina State Museum, Science Curator Tom Falvey is gearing up programming in the museum’s planetarium and observatory, and explains what a big difference in experiences exists between a total eclipse and even a 99% eclipse (hint: the total eclipse is much better). Both the city and the museum will distribute special filtered glasses to make for safe viewing of the eclipse.
