College will operate on regular business hours
(Henderson) KY- On Monday, August 21st, 2017 all of North America will be treated to an eclipse of the sun. Henderson Community College (HCC) is excited to host a solar eclipse lecture in the Preston Arts Center. The event will begin with a lecture by HCC Faculty member, Scott Taylor at 10:30 then visitors will have an opportunity to view the eclipse from the parking lot with a Meade Lx-90 Cassegrain reflector that will include a solar filter, allowing observers to view the sun safely.
The presentation, appropriate for all ages and any knowledge level, will focus on different types of eclipses, the sun, the moon, and their relationship with earth. Those in attendance will receive a pair of solar eclipse glasses for the viewing as long as limited supplies are available. HCC suggests you review eclipse viewing safety information at https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/safety and are careful with your eyesight.
Maximum eclipse coverage for Henderson will be at 1:24 PM. Nearly 800 students from the Henderson County School System will attend the lecture and participate in the viewing activities. While those students will bring their lunch, a local food truck will be on campus during lunch hours.
HCC classes will not be cancelled Monday but students are encouraged to check with their instructors to determine if their schedule has been altered. Traffic is expected to be heavy on Monday; HCC asks all students, faculty and staff travel with caution, watch traffic news, and allow for extra time to and from campus.
A solar eclipse is an event which the moon passes between the sun and Earth and blocks all or part of the sun for up to about three hours, from beginning to end, as viewed from a given location. For this eclipse, the longest period when the moon completely blocks the sun from any given location along the path will be about two minutes and 40 seconds. The last time the contiguous U.S. saw a total eclipse was in 1979.
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