Meant to whet the Georgia Tech community’s curiosity about the rare solar spectacle on the first day of the 2017 Fall semester, the exhibit looks at past eclipses from science and pop culture perspectives. It displays the path of totality of the Aug. 21, 2017, solar sensation, which will be visible across the U.S. from coast to coast.

The mini-exhibit was designed and installed by Kirk Henderson, exhibits program manager at the Georgia Tech Library. Along with Henderson, James Sowell, director of the Georgia Tech Observatory, and Renay San Miguel and A. Maureen Rouhi, of the College of Sciences Communications Office, contributed content.

The Georgia Tech campus and the rest of Atlanta will experience 97% totality. The moon will begin to cover the sun at 1:06 PM local time. Maximum overlap will occur at 2:37 PM. The sun will reappear completely at 4:02 PM.

The College of Sciences and the Office of Undergraduate Education have procured solar-eclipse glasses and organized activities to enable the Georgia Tech community to experience the eclipse safely.

Solar-eclipse glasses will be distributed across campus at noon on Aug. 21, 2017. To ensure your safety when viewing the sun:

• Never look at the sun without special eye protection. Direct viewing can cause permanent eye damage.
• Inspect solar-eclipse glasses before use. Discard if shade is torn, punctured, or in any way separated from the frame.
• Do not use with binoculars, telescopes, or cameras.
• Do not use continuously for more than 3 minutes.
• While using the solar-eclipse glasses, do not move around, drive a motor vehicle, or operate machinery.
• Do not use solar-eclipse glasses with a diseased eye or after eye surgery.
• Refer to solar-eclipse glasses for more information.

From 1 PM to 4 PM, by Kessler Campanile, you can

• Watch livestream from the Georgia Tech Observatory
• Take an auditory journey of the solar system
• View the eclipse using pinhole cameras, eye-safe telescopes, and shoebox projectors
• Monitor changes in temperature and visibility
• Learn about eclipse-enabled research at Tech
• Enjoy astronomy-themed music and snacks

The College of Sciences and the Office of Undergraduate Education acknowledge the assistance and participation of the following in organizing eclipse-related activities at Georgia Tech: Georgia Tech Observatory, Georgia Tech Library, School of Physics, School of Aerospace Engineering, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, School of Interactive Computing, School of Psychology, School of Music, Georgia Tech Center for Music Technology, Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, and Institute Communications.

For more information, visit the Georgia Tech eclipse website.