Associate professor Chuck Higgins’ discussion for the Friday, April 14, MTSU Physics and Astronomy Star Party focuses on this summer’s solar eclipse, whose path will go directly across Nashville.

“The 2017 Great Tennessee Eclipse at MTSU” star party will begin at 6:30 p.m. in Room 102 of Wiser-Patten Science Hall. A telescope viewing will follow the 45- to 60-minute lecture.

The star parties are always free and open to the public. To find Wiser-Patten Science Hall and nearby parking, visit http://tinyurl.com/MTSUParkingMap.

Dr. Chuck Higgins

The April Star Party is part of the Alumni Spring Showcase, which includes dozens of events and activities for MTSU students, alumni and friends of the university.

The eclipse will occur Monday, Aug. 21. For Nashville, the largest U.S. city wholly within the path of the eclipse, the event should begin around 1:28 p.m. and last nearly two minutes. Because of the path of the eclipse, it is considered a 100-year event.

“The moon will pass directly between the Earth and the sun, and the shadow of the moon will follow a path across the continental United States from Oregon to South Carolina,” Higgins said. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime event.”

On Aug. 21, MTSU will host a public viewing session at the MTSU observatory.

“We will have telescopes set up for safe viewing and special glasses for viewing the sun will be available to borrow or for sale,” Higgins said, adding MTSU physics and astronomy students and faculty will be available to answer questions.

School groups will be invited to attend that day. Higgins said they plan to livestream the event and provide links to education activities at www.mtsu.edu/eclipse.

“Funky Fizix in Film” will be Dr. Eric Klumpe’s topic for the Friday, May 5, MTSU Star Party.  You can get a preview of the events and more information about the eclipse from Higgins and Klumpe in the video below.

For more information, call 615-898-2483 or 615-898-5946 or visit www.mtsu.edu/programs/astronomy and www.mtsu.edu/programs/physics.

— Randy Weiler (Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu)