Yellow Springs will experience a partial eclipse of the sun at around 2:28 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 21.
News to close Monday for solar eclipse — and eclipse tips
- Published: August 19, 2017
As most news outlets have been reporting feverishly in the last few weeks, parts of the U.S. will experience a total solar eclipse of the sun on Monday, Aug. 21. The YS News office will be closed for the day.
During the eclipse, the moon will pass between the Earth and the sun, creating a dark sky in the middle of the day in locations from coast to coast in the U.S. Yellow Springs will experience a partial eclipse, with the moon beginning to move into place around 1 p.m., and 88 percent of the sun obscured by the moon at the eclipse’s peak, which will be around 2:28 p.m. According to weather.com, the skies will be partly cloudy that day, which may affect the visibility of the eclipse.
Eclipse viewers are of course warned not to stare at the eclipse with the naked eye, as this could cause serious eye injury and even blindness. Since the village will only experience a partial eclipse, there is no time at which it’s advised to look directly at the sun without eye protection. Special eclipse-viewing glasses have been given out by the Greene County Public Library and sold at various retailers in the Miami Valley, but those who haven’t purchased their glasses by this point may not have much luck finding them, as most places have run out. Stores like Kroger, Walmart, and Meijer may still have glasses; villagers are advised to call ahead and find out before making a trip. It’s also been reported that some glasses that have been sold do not comply with international safety standards and thus, not safe for viewing the eclipse; safe glasses should state that they meet the ISO 12312-2 requirement. For more information on eclipse viewing glasses and whether or not yours comply with safety requirements, click here.
For those without glasses, other alternatives do exist: a simple pinhole projector can be made from a cereal box, white paper, aluminum foil and tape to view the image of the eclipse without eye damage. Trees can also act as a kind of projector against houses and walls during the course of the eclipse, with the sun shining through their leaves showing odd crescents of sunlight.
Environmental changes may take place as well: while the village won’t experience the same dark sky as places where the sun will be totally obscured, it may look closer to twilight than mid-day at the peak of the eclipse. Animals and plants may also be confused by the uncharacteristic lack of sunlight, falling quiet and beginning their evening rituals early.
Since the News will be closed on eclipse day, the paper will be on newsstands Thursday afternoon rather than Wednesday, and will be delivered on Friday rather than Thursday. We wish everyone a fun and safe eclipse day — and be sure to send us your best eclipse photos!
For interactive simulators of what the eclipse will look like in our area, visit Time magazine’s website and Vox’s website.
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