The Coastal Carolina University Department of Physics and Engineering Science, along with the Grand Strand Astronomers, will be hosting an annular eclipse viewing event on Saturday, Oct. 14, from noon to 2:30 p.m. in the GG parking lot on CCU’s campus. The lot is located near the corner of U.S. 501 and University Boulevard.

This event is free and open to the public; however, it will be canceled in case of inclement and cloudy weather.

Unlike a total eclipse, where the sun is completely blocked by the moon, an annular eclipse is where the moon passes between Earth and the sun, but does not completely block the sun. There will be multiple specialized solar telescopes on site to offer the best and safest views of this celestial event. Not only will viewers see the partially eclipsed sun, but they will see material from the sun’s surface arching up and returning to the surface. There will be also be experts on hand to answer questions pertaining to the eclipse.

For more information, contact Ian Hewitt, Ph.D., astronomy teaching associate, at ihewitt@coastal.edu.