Where are you watching the eclipse? The public is invited to Fort Mill’s ASC Greenway

A natural wonder that hasn’t been seen in our state for nearly 40 years is just days away from making a reappearance, and it has people in our area buzzing with excitement.

A full solar eclipse is when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, and briefly covers it so only the sun’s atmosphere, called the corona, can be seen. It has been nearly a century since the last full eclipse was visible here and half that long since the last major event. The 2017 eclipse can be seen over Fort Mill on Aug. 21 beginning around 1:15 p.m. and ending around 4:06 p.m.

Anyone inside what the National Aeronautics and Space Administration calls the “path of totality” will see a full eclipse. The closest viewing of the path of totality is the Columbia area.

Fort Mill is roughly 50 miles outside the path, but people here will still see about 99 percent coverage of the sun at around 2:41 p.m. Carol Holmburg, manager of the Settlemyre Planetarium at the Museum of York County, said even though Fort Mill doesn’t fall within totality, people here will still get to see some of the unique eclipse features.

“Shadows will be sharp, temperatures may drop, (but) I’ve been talking to people that will be disappointed you won’t be able to see the corona from York County,” she said.

“It will not look as dark as night from York County, you won’t be able to see stars in the daytime. Some of these really cool effects will not be visible, but the sun will be 99 percent blocked off and shadows and things will look kind of strange and the sky may look perceptibly dim, temperatures should drop maybe perceptibly and birds may bed for the night.”

The Settlemyre Planetarium in Rock Hill is currently showing “Totality,” a film about eclipses Tuesday-Saturday at 3:30 p.m. It’s just one way the public can get educated about the eclipse before the big event. Schools in Fort Mill, Clover and Lancaster are all operating on half-day schedules so children can enjoy the unique experience too. On eclipse day, the York County Museum is supporting an eclipse viewing event hosted by the York County Library at its main branch in downtown Rock Hill.

“They are borrowing our solar telescope and we are making sure they have safe viewing glasses for the participants to share,” Holmburg said, “The city of Rock Hill is blocking off Black Street.”

In Fort Mill, organizers at the Anne Springs Close Greenway are hosting a viewing event that’s open to the public. The Greenway is partnering with Fort Mill-based company BOB Gear, owned by Britax Child Safety, to offer solar glasses to the first 750 participants at the Lake Haigler entrance off of U.S. 21 beginning at 1 p.m. Spokesperson Elizabeth Bowers said the Greenway staff is excited about the partnership with BOB Gear and believe there will be a great view of the eclipse from the field near the riding ring at the Greenway.

“It is an open space; We think it’s the best for viewing because you’ll have plenty of open sight line,” she said.

The Greenway plans to have a food truck on site for the event. Admission is free for Greenway members and $5 for non-members. Parking is $5.

While the eclipse viewing locally will still be great, Holmburg strongly encourages people to travel into the path of totality, if possible. The closest NASA sponsored viewing event is in Winnsboro, roughly 50 miles south of Fort Mill. Holmburg plans to travel west, toward Pickens. She said there’s a strategy involved which will hopefully help her avoid any possibility of bad weather. No matter what, she plans to try and be flexible enough in order to get the best view possible.

“If the weather is good, if you view from the mountains you may be able to see the shadow of the moon race across the landscape,” she said. “But we are willing to abandon all if it shows that it’s suddenly clear somewhere else.”

The middle part of the state from Greenville through Charleston is expected to be the busiest, crowded with people hoping to view 100 percent totality. That means there will be many more people on roads than usual. The South Carolina Department of Public Safety plans to have extra troopers patrolling the interstates and highways beginning Aug. 18. Road construction has been suspended and troopers are asking people to expect congestion on the roads. They are also instructing drivers not to stop on the side of the road to view the eclipse. Holmburg has also been giving advice for those who wish to travel to get the best view.

“I’ve been telling people if they are traveling, to bring food because the restaurants will be overwhelmed, to bring cash because cell phone service may be spotty and they may not have credit card machines working, (and) to have a full tank of gas. I understand from one news source that there is a portapotty shortage — all these small towns are getting them — so bring toilet paper and bring a lot of patience.”

SAFE VIEWING

There is also a much more serious warning being issued: Don’t forget to protect your eyes.

Dr. Adam Dutson with the Fort Mill Vision Center explained it’s extremely dangerous to sun gaze without taking proper precaution. He explained looking at the eclipse without proper protection could lead to prolonged or even permanent light sensitivity, sunburn of the eye or even decreased vision. He said there is a lot of misinformation being spread about what will actually happen.

“It’s not necessarily on Aug. 21 the sun is going to be brighter or there is going to be more UV light, that’s not the case, Dr. Dutson said. “It’s just going out and looking up at the sun in general is our biggest fear.”

He said if you do plan to view the eclipse, make sure you have the proper safety glasses, ones marked with the special ISO 12312-2 rating printed on them. These are equivalent to wearing 13 pairs of sunglasses. However, NASA warned that there are counterfeit glasses out there, so make sure you purchase yours from a reliable retailer. Dr. Dutson also issued an additional warning:

“The manufacturers of thESE do not recommend looking up at the sun with their filters for more than a minute or two, sometimes three at most,” he said.

Dr. Dutson explained he and his colleagues are very concerned for people who don’t heed the importance of eclipse safety.

“It’s going to be sad because this is a once in a lifetime opportunity but it’s also going to damage their vision for once in a lifetime,” he said.

Local Lowe’s stores planned to boost stock of the special glasses to help meet demand, but a recent shipment to the Fort Mill store sold out within just a few hours and associates there don’t expect to get more in before the big event happens. If you are unable to get a pair of eclipse glasses, Lowe’s created a webpage that explains other options for safe eclipse viewing. It can be found at lowes.com/projects/other-areas/2017-solar-eclipse/project.

No matter how you view the eclipse – if you travel or stay in town – experts say it has the potential to be a lifetime opportunity for people in this area, and should not be missed. However, the great news is, if you’re unable to see the total eclipse this time, you only have to wait until April 8, 2024, for a chance to see the next one in the United States.

The Museum of York County’s Planetarium has created a webpage with complete eclipse information that’s tailored to our area at chmuseums.org/eclipse/.

This story was originally published August 15, 2017 at 12:16 PM with the headline "Where are you watching the eclipse? The public is invited to Fort Mill’s ASC Greenway."