Planetarium Presents “The Great Eclipse of 2017” April 21

VALDOSTA — The Valdosta State University Planetarium will present “The Great Eclipse of 2017” at 7 p.m., 8 p.m., and 9 p.m. on Friday, April 21. The presentation is free of charge and open to the public.

“In just four months — on Aug. 21 — a total solar eclipse will be visible from northeastern Georgia,” according to VSU’s Department of Physics, Astronomy, and Geosciences. “In Valdosta the eclipse will be partial, with the moon covering up to 90 percent of the sun’s disk. The path of totality will stretch from Oregon to South Carolina, making this the best solar eclipse in decades for Americans. … there will not be another like it in the United States until 2024.”

“The Great Eclipse of 2017” will include a discussion on where the experts plan to view the eclipse, where the weather is expected to be best along the track, and how the entire nation is preparing for the event.

Seating for each of the three presentations is limited to 47 guests. Free admission tickets will be distributed beginning at 6 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis at the VSU Planetarium. Tickets are limited to seven per person.

The VSU Observatory will be open from 8 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., weather permitting, allowing guests the opportunity to view Mars, Jupiter, and a host of celestial wonders.   

Located on the third floor of Nevins Hall, the VSU Planetarium features a Digitarium Kappa digital projector, which can reproduce the night sky as seen from anywhere on Earth or from the surface of any object in the solar system, at any time in history, past or future. This technology is the first of its kind in the world.

Limited parking will be available in front of Nevins Hall and across Patterson Street.

Planetarium public outreach shows are appropriate for children ages 5 and up. “The Great Eclipse of 2017” is the final presentation of the 2016-2017 season.

Contact VSU’s Department of Physics, Astronomy, and Geosciences at (229) 333-5752 for more information.