Monday is eclipse day in America.
Thirteen states, stretching from Texas to Maine, are in the path of totality where the sun will be completely obscured by the moon.
Famously, Hopkinsville was in the path of totality for the Aug 21, 2017, solar eclipse — and we were the town closest to the point of greatest eclipse, or the point at which the axis of the moon’s shadow was nearest the Earth.
The city flexed its marketing muscle and became Eclipseville USA, attracting more than 100,000 visitors who took every hotel room, Airbnb, temporary camping spot and spare couch Hopkinsville had to offer. I saw tents and campers pop up in dozens of yards where surely this had never before been imagined.
They came to Hopkinsville from nearly every corner of the world. I was recruited to give tours at the Woody Winfree Fire and Transportation Museum downtown and met visitors from several states, and from Europe and South America.
My house was the hub for a weekend reunion with relatives piling in from other parts of Kentucky and from North Carolina, Nebraska and Texas. Somehow we also made room for a family of four I barely knew, and they squeezed into one of our bedrooms.
This time, Hopkinsville is not in the path of totality. A bit east and south of that fortunate ribbon of totality crossing the middle of the United States, we will experience a 98% eclipse of the sun in Hopkinsville.
While it is true that totality is far and away a more rewarding way to experience an eclipse, those of us who elect to stay home Monday won’t be completely out of the picture.
Here are the crucial times for Hopkinsville:
- 12:44 p.m. — The partial eclipse begins, also known as “first contact.” This is the moment the edge of the moon touches the edge of the sun.
- 2:03 p.m. — The peak, or the deepest point of the eclipse when the sun is most hidden.
- 3:19 p.m. — The end of the eclipse when the edge of the moon leaves the edge of the sun.
I’ve decided to stay home for this eclipse. I could have made plans to drive to Henderson or Paducah, two Western Kentucky communities in the path of totality. But the traffic snarl that will occur immediately after the eclipse gave me pause. And then there’s my internal fault line that bends toward nostalgia. I can’t resist the option of being in the same place where we experienced the greatest eclipse in 2017.
Visit Hopkinsville is hosting an Eclipse Watch Party from noon to 4 p.m. at the local tourist center, 1730 E. Ninth St., with help from the Museums of Historic Hopkinsville-Christian County and Hopkinsville Parks and Recreation. Organizers plan to offer food, games, crafts, storytelling and music. G’s BBQ will be serving lunch.
Cayce Jones Distillery, 2815 Witty Lane, has planned an Eclipse Viewing Party, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eclipse-themed cocktails will be offered, and a food truck will serve lunch.
If you’re planning to view the total or partial eclipse Monday, don’t forget to wear the proper eye protection.
“Eclipse glasses are NOT regular sunglasses,” officials at NASA explain. “… regular sunglasses, no matter how dark, are not safe for viewing the sun.”
Looking directly at the sun without proper protection can cause permanent damage to the eyes, so you need eclipse glasses that comply with the international standard of ISO 12312-2. These are available at Visit Hopkinsville for $1 a pair while supplies last.
Wherever you are Monday, enjoy your day in the sun and in the dark.
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. She spent 30 years as a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition.
