With the rare opportunity to view a total solar eclipse, the Blount County Public Library is offering several activities related to the eclipse.
The “Viewing and Activities” will occur from 1 to 4 p.m. on Monday, August 21, at the library. Activities before the full eclipse will include the opportunity to make a low-tech pinhole camera viewer, so arrive early to take part in that project.
Other activities will include crafts, sidewalk chalk, bubbles and cold water. The Blount County Friends of the Library are sponsoring this event.
The Bookmark Café will have “eclipse cookies” along with a combo of Moon Pies and Sun Chips, for sale as well as other regular café items.
Bring safe viewing glasses to view the eclipse. The moon will start casting its shadow on earth, blocking view of the sun, at about 1 p.m. The moon’s shadow will progress until the total solar eclipse should occur at about 2:30 p.m. and will last about 90 seconds. Then the shadow will start decreasing until the full sun is again visible at about 4 p.m.
Participants are invited to use safe viewing glasses to view the event at the library on the pedestrian bridge, grass lawn around the library or in the Greenway Park.
For people who want to remain indoors, chairs will be set up in the reading rotunda and main gallery of the library so that participants can watch the change in environment (gradual approach of dark and then light again), along with shadows and other changes.
A list of sources for purchasing solar viewing glasses online and at area retailers is available at this website: https://eclipse.aas.org/resources/solar-filters Be sure to get solar viewers that have been verified by an accredited testing laboratory to meet the ISO 12312-2 international safety standard for such products; otherwise, viewing the sun can cause harm to the eyes.
Open to the public, this program is hosted by the Blount County Public Library, located at 508 N. Cusick Street, Maryville, where services are an example of your tax dollars at work for you.
For further information about library programs or services, call the library at (865) 982-0981 or visit the Web site at www.blountlibrary.org . To sign up to receive a monthly calendar by email, go to the library’s Home Page and go to What’s Happening? on the Menu Bar. Then under News and Events click on Join Calendar Email List. Also check out Facebook at “Blount County Public Library,” Twitter at “Blount_Library,” Pinterest and Instagram.
