On August 21, eighty-five percent of the sun in the Reno area will be covered in darkness by the Great American Eclipse.

The last time an American total eclipse bathed the continent was in 1979, however it didn’t reach coast to coast. On the morning of the 21, the sky will look gray and overcast in prediction of the upcoming eclipse. The sun will go completely dark for about 2-3 minutes in other parts of the United States, from parts of Oregon all the way to Charleston, South Carolina.

“It stretches coast to coast and the United States is the only place in the world that gets to see this,” said Dan Ruby from the Fleischmann Planetarium and Science Center in Reno.

One of the perks of being in Reno is that residents can see the partial eclipse from about 9 in the morning to a quarter before noon. Ruby said that around 10 am to 11 am the sun will be a breathtaking crescent. The peak is expected at about 10:20 am. Check out this events around the area to enjoy the eclipse to its full potential.

Preview Events:

• The Fleishmann Planetarium Dome Theatre has a special show about solar eclipses and it’s playing at 1:00 pm, 3:00 pm and 5:00 pm daily Monday – Saturday throughout August. Click here to learn more.
• The Washoe County Library system will be hosting the Astronomical Society of Nevada to talk about the upcoming eclipse. You can hear that talk on Tuesday, August 15 from 6:00-7:00 pm at the Spanish Springs Library.

Viewing Parties:

• The Nevada Conservation League is hosting a viewing party at Rancho San Rafael Park. You are asked to bring your own viewing glasses. More details here.
• Western Nevada College's Jack C. Davis Observatory on the Carson City Campus will open from 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. so the public can catch a better view of the eclipse. They'll also be streaming video from one or more sites that are in the path of totality on their big screens in the observatory. Find out more here.

If you’re a parent and your child has school on Monday, there are several school districts that plan on having their own viewing parties.

• Monday August 21st happens to be the first day of school for the Carson City School District. They tell us that they plan on bringing their students outside to view the solar eclipse at its peak and learn more about the science behind it. They have purchased glasses for the kids to wear.
• Washoe County School District will also be bringing their students outside to witness the eclipse. They partnered with the Fleischmann Planetarium to get glasses for everyone.

SAFETY!

Be sure to safely view the solar eclipse with special eclipse viewing glasses. Without them, eyes can become very damaged from looking at the sun – don’t do that! The Fleischmann Planetarium has glasses available for $2 and the Washoe County Library system is giving them away at all locations. Don’t miss out on this amazing phenomenon!

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