Eclipse of the Century Crosses North Carolina

Certainly everyone has heard about the Great American Eclipse that's passing over a wide swath of the US next Monday, August 21. North Carolina is in a pretty decent spot for viewing, with around 90% totality, give or take. Here at the Libraries, there are several folks who are headed a state over (to South Carolina or Tennessee) to enter the path of totality. And that's not too far to travel to witness such a unique event. It's just they would've had a far shorter trip 47 years ago, on Saturday, March 7, 1970, when the Eclipse of the Century could be see about 20 miles from Raleigh, which itself was at 98% totality. The path of the 1970 eclipse was not all that favorable for viewing the US, with the path of totality starting in Florida, making its way over land to the Eastern Shore of Virginia, then offshoare up the east coast over Nantucket, and then on to Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. Then, like now, if you weren't in the path, you could always watch it on television. (Now, unlike then, many of us may watch it online.)

And, while the eclipse wasn't quite on par with "beating Carolina," it did make front page news in Monday, March 2, 1970, issue of the Technician. By the following Monday, the first issue post-eclipse issue of the Technician, the event was relegated to page seven news. Afterall, there was far more urgent news on the front page: the Pack beat the Gamecocks to win the ACC title! 

This year, we can safely observe the eclipse on campus thanks to the College of Sciences, which will be hosting a celebration and viewing on the Brickyard.