Above: A total eclipse will cover a swath across North America on Aug. 21, including portions of North Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. Courtesy of NASA.gov
On Monday, August 21, a large swath of America will be treated to a rare phenomenon: a total solar eclipse. While partial views will be available in Atlanta, if you want to be in the path of totality then head to North Georgia, North Carolina or South Carolina.
The centerline for the eclipse will touch the northeastern corner of Georgia around 2:35 p.m. Some of the picturesque places to see the full solar phenomenon are in Clayton, Toccoa and Black Rock Mountain State Park.
In North Carolina, you’ll have part of the Great Smokey Mountains National Park as a dramatic landscape for the eclipse.
Some of the cities in the path are Bryson City, Murphy, Andrews, Franklin and Santeetlah Lake.
A big swath of South Carolina will see the eclipse, but one of the best places will be the city of Greenville, which lies in the path of totality. The downtown area has cool shops, restaurants and the lovely Falls Park on the Reedy River.
The last time all of North America witnessed a solar eclipse was 99 years ago, so grab your eclipse glasses and head north.
Local Libraries Host Eclipse Parties
If you’ll be spending August 21 in the north metro Atlanta area, you can still enjoy the eclipse, thanks in part to the local library systems. More than two million pairs of eclipse glasses are being distributed free of charge through U.S. public libraries, through a project supported in part by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, with additional help from Google, National Science Foundation (NSF) and NASA.
Many area libraries are planning educational programs, group viewings and celebrations around the time of the eclipse, 2-3 p.m. Check with your local library for specifics.