An organizer shed light on plans for MTSU’s Aug. 21 “Great Tennessee Eclipse” festivities on a recent edition of the “MTSU On the Record” radio program.

Dr. Ron Henderson

Host Gina Logue’s interview with Dr. Ron Henderson, chair of the university’s Department of Physics and Astronomy, first aired Aug. 15 on WMOT-FM Roots Radio 89.5 and www.wmot.org. You can listen to their conversation above.

The eclipse was viewable in one phase or another throughout a path that cut across the North American continent on Monday, Aug. 21, but the moment of totality — when the sun is briefly and completely blocked from view by the moon — was limited to an area about 70 miles wide, stretching from central Oregon through South Carolina, that included Murfreesboro.

NASA designated MTSU as one of the six official eclipse viewing sites in the greater Nashville area. MTSU’s viewing event was open to the public, and thousands assembled in the yard in front of the MTSU Science Building.

“Not much of the earth experiences a total solar eclipse at any given time,” said Henderson. “The last total solar eclipse in Murfreesboro was in the 1400s, and the next total solar eclipse in Murfreesboro will be in about 500 years from now.”

Faculty was hand to answer scientific questions, and student musicians from Match Records provided entertainment. For more “Great Tennessee Eclipse” information, including an archived video of the event, go to www.mtsu.edu/eclipse.

To hear previous “MTSU On the Record” programs, visit the searchable “Audio Clips” archives at www.mtsunews.com.

For more information about “MTSU On the Record,” contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.

This map of the Aug. 21 solar eclipse’s North American path of totality, provided by NASA, shows that Murfreesboro — and MTSU — watched the moon pass between the earth and sun between 1:25 p.m. and 2:35 p.m. CDT. (NASA map)