Lake Toxaway - August 20-27
Turn the eclipse into an excuse for personal wellness at a weeklong retreat on Lake Toxaway. Along with an unobstructed and crowd-free viewing experience of the eclipse, enjoy access to all of the retreat’s programs such as meditation, yoga, cycling, and guided hikes. A shorter, three-day retreat is also available. Skyterra Wellness Retreat & Weight Loss Spa, 1 Indian Creek Dr.; $4,200; (888) 393-0742.
MONDAY AUGUST 21, 2017
INSIGHTS FROM THE EXPERTS
Local physics professors
on what to expect from the eclipse
on what to expect from the eclipse
When it comes to watching the eclipse, experts agree that safety is the most important thing.
Once you’ve taken the proper visual precautions, here are the highlights to look for. During the short minutes of total eclipse, many celestial features normally visible only in the night sky will appear. According to Western Carolina physics professor Enrique Gomez, who has witnessed two full eclipses, totality “is an intense experience because of the dramatic change of light in the landscape and the sky throughout the event. Effectively, it will be night in the middle of the day, and several planets will be visible with the naked eye,” including Jupiter, Venus, and Mars. Bright stars, including Sirius, Spica, and Betelgeuse, will also shine through. What’s more, the temperature will drop by as much as 10 degrees, birds will fall silent, and other animals will react uniquely.
Although much of our region will experience 99 percent totality, UNC Asheville physics professor Brian Dennison recommends traveling to the zone of full totality if you can. The corona—the aura of plasma surrounding the sun that will be visible during totality—“is the most beautiful thing to see during an eclipse,” he says. And, he adds, “because of the current distance between the moon and the Earth, which is increasing due to tidal effects, eclipses are really good right now. Enjoy them while you have them.”
THERE GOES THE SUN:
TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSES 101
When the moon’s orbit positions it just so between the sun and the Earth, it blocks the sunshine that normally reaches our big blue marble. In a total solar eclipse, the moon will gradually shift in front of the sun until it covers all but the sun’s corona—its wispy outer atmosphere. Some places in WNC will experience the full eclipse, while parts outside that path will still enjoy almost 100 percent of it. So even if you can’t be in the darkest places in the region, you will still be able to witness much of this rare occurrence.
Phases of Total Solar Eclipse
FIRST CONTACT
The moon starts to overlap the Sun; the eclipse begins.
SECOND CONTACT
The moon covers the entire disc of the Sun; total eclipse begins.
TOTALITY
The max phase of a total solar eclipse; only the Sun’s corona is visible.
THIRD CONTACT
The Moon starts moving away, and parts of the Sun’s disc reappear.
FORTH CONTACT
The Moon stops overlapping the Sun; the eclipse ends.
SAFETY TIPS!
Looking directly at the sun is unsafe except during the brief total phase of a solar eclipse (“totality”), when the moon entirely blocks the sun’s bright face. The only safe way to look directly at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed sun is through special-purpose solar filters, such as “eclipse glasses” or hand-held solar viewers. Homemade filters or ordinary sunglasses, even very dark ones, are not safe for looking at the sun.
- Always inspect your solar filter before use. If scratched or damaged, discard it. Read and follow any instructions printed on or packaged with the filter. Always supervise children using solar filters.
- Stand still and cover your eyes with your eclipse glasses or solar viewer before looking up at the bright sun. To remove your filter safely, turn away from the sun first, before removing.
- Do not look at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed sun through an unfiltered camera, telescope, binoculars, or other optical device. Similarly, do not look at the sun through a camera, a telescope, binoculars, or any other optical device while using your eclipse glasses or hand-held solar viewer— the concentrated solar rays will damage the filter and enter your eye(s), causing serious injury. Seek expert advice from an astronomer before using a solar filter with a camera, a telescope, binoculars, or any other optical device.
- If you are within the path of totality (visit eclipse2017.nasa.gov for an interactive map showing the path), REMOVE YOUR SOLAR FILTER ONLY WHEN THE MOON COMPLETELY COVERS THE SUN’S FACE AND IT SUDDENLY GETS QUITE DARK. Experience totality; then, as soon as the bright sun begins to reappear, replace your solar viewer to glance at the remaining partial phases.
EVENTS
Solar Eclipse Educational Panels
JACKSON COUNTY
Sylva • August 20
Bring all your eclipse questions to this free panel featuring astronomers from Appalachian State and Western Carolina universities, who will speak about the science of the eclipse and what to expect during totality. Southwestern Community College, Myers Auditorium, 447 College Dr.; Sunday, 6 p.m.; free; (828) 339-4000.
Solar Eclipse Gathering at Otto Labyrinth Park
MACON COUNTY
Otto • August 21
Preregistered guests will spend the day meditating and journaling, leading up to a group Labyrinth walk as the eclipse occurs. A potluck lunch is provided and all participants will receive an information packet on the eclipse and a diary. Mountain Valley Center, 43 Shambala Way; 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; $25, $10 children 12 & under; (888) 773- 2491.
Solar Eclipse Party
GRAHAM COUNTY
Fontana Village • August 21
Stay in a cabin at Fontana Village Resort and enjoy family-friendly festivities, a cookout, and live entertainment preceding the viewing of the eclipse. Reservations for accommodations are required. Fontana Village Resort, 300 Woods Rd.; packages start at $119 per night for August 18-22; (828) 498-2211.
Solar Eclipse Train
SWAIN COUNTY
Bryson City • August 21
This five-hour train ride on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad travels from Bryson City to Dillsboro, where riders will take a two-hour layover to view the totality of the eclipse. Eyewear will be provided and riders are encouraged to dine and explore Dillsboro leading up to the event. Bryson City Depot, 45 Mitchell St.; Boarding at 11:30 a.m.; $59, $35 children; (800) 872-4681
Spectacular Solar Eclipse Day at Entegra Bank
MACON COUNTY
Franklin • August 21
Starting at noon, Entegra Bank hosts a viewing event in the meadow below its Corporate Center in Franklin. Eclipse glasses will be provided, as well as refreshments and kids’ activities. 14 One Center Ct.; starts at noon; free; (828) 524-7000.
Swain County Prime Viewing Spots
SWAIN COUNTY
Bryson City • On August 21, Riverfront Park in Bryson City will welcome visitors, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., for viewing, o ering live music and food trucks. Great Smokies National Park is providing free viewing of the eclipse at Cable Mill in Cades Cove
and the Oconaluftee Visitor Center in Cherokee. All access will be first come first serve, but the park encourages guests to view the eclipse from any point in the park.
Sylva Brewery Events
JACKSON COUNTY
Sylva • Not that a reason is required to raise a pint, but the eclipse is certainly a good one. Sneak E. Squirrel Brewing in Sylva is releasing a special stout that’s as dark as the sky and will be offering eclipse-themed bites such as a sunny-side down burger. On August
19, Innovation Brewing, also in Sylva, is releasing a special “Totality” ale, a chocolate and vanilla imperial stout aged in Woodford Reserve double-oaked bourbon barrels. Visit sneakesquirrel.com and innovation-brewing.com for more details. Or, take in the eclipse spirit with free weekend space movies at Mad Batter Food and Film, also in Sylva. On Twitter? Check @NCEclipse for event updates and public safety updates.
The Great Eclipse Weekend at Walnut Hollow Ranch
SWAIN COUNTY
Cherokee • August 18-21
Choose between an RV, loft, or tent package and enjoy farm tours, a cookout and live performance by John Edwards, and a pulled pork luncheon at noon on Monday to lead up to totality. Walnut Hollow Ranch, 1100 Carter Cove Rd.; Friday-Monday; packages start at $129 per couple; (828) 389-8931.
FUN FACTS
FOLKLORE
Korean folklore suggests that solar eclipses happen because mythical dogs are trying to steal the sun. In ancient China, a celestial dragon was thought to be munching on it, while Norse cultures blamed huge wolves and the Cherokee believed it was, instead, an enormous frog.
CALENDAR
PLAN AHEAD! Given WNC’s fortune as one of the ground zeros for regional eclipsing, it will pay to get to your viewing destination early, and keep in mind: • The Blue Ridge Parkway and many rural roads will be jammed up. • Most local hotel rooms and rental lodging will be booked. • In some areas, cell phone networks might be temporarily overwhelmed. • It's wise to bring extra food and water in case of unexpected delays.
SOLAR BABY
A popular misconception was that solar eclipses could be a danger to pregnant women and their unborn children, so in some cultures, young children and pregnant women were instructed to stay indoors during the blackout.
VIDEOS
The Night Sky - America's Total Solar Eclipse (August 21, 2017)
Fly over the Great American Eclipse
5 ways to safely view the 2017 total solar eclipse
NASA VIDEO: Get Ready for the 2017 Solar Eclipse
Total Solar Eclipse March 29, 2006 Anatalya, Turkey
Total Solar Eclipse in Svalbard 2015 (Crowd Reaction)
A Total Solar Eclipse IN the Heart of the Mountains
For most Western North Carolinians, it will be a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle, an encounter with one of the rarest of astronomical phenomena. Go ahead and clear your calendar for Monday, August 21—a day we’ll all remember as the Great American Eclipse of 2017.
At about 1:15 p.m. EST, a total solar eclipse will appear over Oregon, heading southeast across the nation so that, circa 2:30 p.m., it will glide through the westernmost parts of North Carolina before continuing on to the Charleston area and out to sea. In fact, WNC will offer some of the longest and best opportunities for witnessing the eclipse. That’s because the so-called “path of totality”—a 60-mile-wide swath wherein the eclipse is 100 percent complete, with the moon blocking out the entirety of the sun— is passing right through here. For as much as two minutes and 40 seconds, the area will be blanketed in an eerie yet stunning mid-day darkness. Prior to and after the main event, a total of three hours of partial eclipse will cast the mountains in surreal shadow. With our guide to where and how it’s best to take it all in, the eclipse will be a transformative and memorable milestone.