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FSU plans solar eclipse activites

August 9th, 2017 by WCBC Radio

The Great American Eclipse will drape itself over Frostburg, Md., and families can join in on the rare event at the Frostburg State University Multimedia Center and Planetarium.

Activities will take place from 1 to 4 p.m., Monday, Aug. 21 at the planetarium, located inside the Gira Center in the center of campus. The free event is rain or shine. Parking is available in the Woodward D. Pealer Performing Arts Center lot. Guests are asked to RSVP in advance by visiting bit.ly/FSUEclipse to allow FSU to better prepare for attendance at the event.

The planetarium will have 50 eclipse-viewing glasses to give away, a maximum of three pairs per family.

Solar telescopes will be set up outside of the planetarium. A station to make pinhole projectors to safely view the eclipse will be available, and live feeds from NASA observatories of the eclipse passing through the country will be displayed on the planetarium’s dome screen.

“The FSU Multimedia Learning Center and Planetarium is excited to be part of this once-in-a-lifetime eclipse,” said Planetarium Director Dr. Jason Speights.

About 80 percent of the solar eclipse will be viewable from Frostburg, with the peak time being around 2:40 p.m. The eclipse will cause the sky to darken to the equivalent of an overcast or cloudy day.

Anyone viewing the eclipse is encouraged to wear special eye protection to prevent permanent damage and possible blindness. NASA recommends eclipse-viewing glasses, and handheld solar viewers should have an ISO 12312-2 international standard, should have the manufacturer’s name and address printed somewhere on the product, should not be older than three years and should be free of scratches and wrinkles. Ordinary sunglasses are not a replacement for eclipse-viewing glasses and should not be used. Some area retailers and hardware stores have solar eclipse glasses available that meet these standards and are available online.

For more information about the Multimedia Learning Center and Planetarium, visit www.frostburg.edu/mlc or call 301-687-4339.

FSU is committed to making all of its programs, services and activities accessible to persons with disabilities. To request accommodations through the ADA Compliance Office, call 301-687-4102 or use a Voice Relay Operator at 1-800-735-2258.

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