Happy Eclipse Day!

Greetings from Buffalo, NY! I've been getting a few phone calls and emails asking about eclipse events at Montgomery College. Alas, I decided to travel to the path of totality for this one, so I am unable to host a viewing today. Nevertheless, if the skies are clear this afternoon in Maryland, I encourage you to grab your eclipse glasses and head outside.

The eclipse will begin at 2:04 pm, and maximum will occur at 3:20 pm. The whole thing will be over at 4:32 pm. This will be a really nice partial, with 87% of the Sun covered by the Moon. When it's near maximum, have a look at the shadows, they will be interesting! Be safe and don't look at the Sun unless you have approved glasses. :)

Solar eclipse events

Happy August everyone! Below please find information on the solar eclipse event at Montgomery College. I've also included a list of August events at the nearby Latitude Observatory in Gaithersburg, MD.

Montgomery College will be hosting an eclipse event event at our Takoma Park campus on Monday 21 August 2017 from 12:30 to 3:00 PM.

During the eclipse, we will connect to sites that are in totality and project the event on to the planetarium dome for viewing. Dr. Harold Williams will also present a planetarium show explaining eclipses and occultations. If it is clear we will have telescopes set up outside to view the partial phases of the eclipse safely.

The event is free and open to the public. Additional details can be found on the Montgomery College Planetarium webpage. I hope you can join us!

The Latitude Observatory in Gaithersburg is hosting the following events in August:

• Saturday 12 August 2017 – Perseids Meteor Shower (8:00 PM to 1:00 AM) Bring blankets and chairs to sit or lie out on the lawn watching for meteors.
• Sunday 20 August 2017 – Preview Screening of "The Farthest: Voyager in Space", from HHMI Tangled Bank Studios, is a beautiful new PBS documentary highlighting the story of the Voyager missions. Movie is from 3:00 to 5:00 PM. Tickets will be distributed starting at 2:00 PM. Arts Barn, 311 Kent Square Road, Gaithersburg, Md.
• 21 Monday August 2017 – Solar Eclipse Party (12:30 to 4:30 PM) An afternoon of solar related activities and solar observations as well as safe solar viewers for participants.