YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. — If you want to see a total eclipse over North and South America, Monday is the last chance you’ll have for 20 years, as the next one doesn’t happen until 2044. And while Young Harris College is not in the direct path, there will be an opportunity to view it Monday, April 8.
“While we do not lie in the path of totality, Young Harris and surrounding areas will still experience a partial solar eclipse,” said Lauren Albin, director of the O. Wayne Rollins Planetarium at Young Harris College. “You can safely view the partial eclipse through a pair of ISO-certified eclipse glasses. Free eclipse glasses are available to the community at a few different locations on campus—outside the Rollins Planetarium, in the Office of Communications and in the Zell & Shirley Miller Library.”
There are ways to observe a partial eclipse indirectly, including viewing the partial shadow of the Sun. You can do this by filtering the light of the Sun through a collider or other perforated material, including the pinholes of a button, the small holes in a Ritz cracker, or through a straw hat. Another method to filter sunlight is by standing under a tree and looking at the projections of the eclipsed Sun on the sidewalk.
Here in Young Harris, the times for the partial eclipse are:
- Mon. April 8, 2024
- Begins @ 1:48pm
- Max View @ 3:06pm
- Ends: 4:22pm
A solar eclipse is a unique phenomenon special to Earth, Albin said.
“The Earth’s moon is about 400 times smaller than the Sun, but the Sun is about 400 times further away than the Moon from Earth. Therefore, the Sun and Moon appear to be about the same size in the sky,” Albin said. “No other planet has a moon that is comparable to the size of the Sun, so only Earth gets to witness such a phenomenon. Additionally, our Moon is slowly migrating farther from the Earth. Therefore, at some point in Earth’s future, the Moon will no longer appear as the same size as the Sun in our sky and we will never witness a total solar eclipse again!”
The next solar eclipse visible from the United States will take place in 2044.
The following link talks about the upcoming eclipse on April 8 and the 2017 total solar eclipse that was visible from North Georgia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAEUYM4Een4&ab_channel=NPR
About Young Harris College
Young Harris College is a private baccalaureate and master’s degree-granting institution located in the beautiful mountains of North Georgia. Founded in 1886 and historically affiliated with The United Methodist Church, Young Harris College educates, inspires, and empowers students through an education that purposefully integrates the liberal arts and professional studies. The College has four academic divisions: Fine Arts; Humanities; Mathematics, Science, and Technology; and Professional Studies. Approximately 1,400 students are enrolled in its residential and Early College programs. The College is an active member of the NCAA Division II and remains a fierce competitor in the Conference Carolinas. For more information, visit yhc.edu.
