What’s so special about the upcoming eclipse Aug. 21 that it became known as the Great American Eclipse?
For starters, it’s the first total eclipse to be able to be seen in the United States since 1979 and it has suppliers of eclipse viewing sunglasses scrambling to fill orders before zero hour. It has spawned the creation of postage stamps and a plethora of eclipse-related websites from government sites to news and educational forums.
Local residents have even more reason to get excited, as we’re not only in an area that will experience totality – when the moon totally blocks the sun – DeKalb County is within a short drive to where HWY 111 and Black Oak Road meet which is on the eclipse’s center line and has the closest longest totality duration at approximately 2 minutes and 39 seconds.
For those who might not want to fight the surging hordes of folks, there’s another option. The Justin Potter Library in conjunction with the Smithville-DeKalb Chamber of Commerce, Saint Thomas DeKalb Hospital, DeKalb County government and the City of Smithville is sponsoring a block party across from the library. They’ll be giving out eclipse viewing glasses, Moon Pies and water for as long as they last but you have to bring you own chair.
Since the latter option will give you totality, with approximately 2 minutes and 32 seconds, it would be the quicker most convenient choice. There are over 200 million people living within a six-hour drive of the Hwy 111 centerline area and it’s expected to draw large crowds, especially where it meets I-40.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity for the community to come together for something special and be a part of what might be a once-in-a-lifetime event,” said area library director Kathy Hendrixson.
According to NASA, the path of totality is a relatively thin ribbon - around 70 miles wide - that will cross the U.S. from West to East.  The first point of contact will be at Lincoln Beach, Oregon at 9:05 a.m. PDT. Totality begins there at 10:16 a.m. PDT.  Over the next hour and a half, it will cross through Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, and North and South Carolina.  The total eclipse will end near Charleston, South Carolina at 2:48 p.m. EDT.  From there the lunar shadow leaves the United States at 4:09 EDT.
The Justin Potter Library block party location will see the start of a partial eclipse at approximately 11:00:46 a.m., start of the total eclipse at 12:29:24. Maximum eclipse at 12:30:40, end of total eclipse at 12:31:56 and the end of partial eclipse at 1:55:55 p.m. CDT.
If you do your  traveling on Google Maps these days, or you can’t get away and experience the event first-hand, NASA has another option. Their Eyes on the Eclipse software offers two options, one for desktops and laptops, and one that is web-based that you can use on your phone or on any device with a web browser.  For more information and to download the app, visit eyes.nasa.gov/eclipse.
Eyes on the Eclipse is an interactive, 3D simulation of the total eclipse of August 21, where you can see a view of the eclipse from anywhere on the planet. If you have young children and you’re concerned about them looking directly at the eclipse, a definite no-no, this might be for you.
Safety is paramount when viewing this monumental event, as eye damage can and will occur if you view the eclipse without proper safety measures.
The only safe way to look directly at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed sun is through special-purpose solar filters, such as “eclipse glasses” or hand-held solar viewers. Homemade filters or ordinary sunglasses, even very dark ones, are not safe for looking at the sun; they transmit thousands of times too much sunlight. Refer to the American Astronomical Society (AAS) page for a list of manufacturers and authorized dealers of eclipse glasses and handheld solar viewers verified to be compliant with the ISO 12312-2 international safety standard for such products located in the quick-link section.
• Always inspect your solar filter before use; if scratched or damaged, discard it. Read and follow any instructions printed on or packaged with the filter.
• Always supervise children using solar filters.
• Stand still and cover your eyes with your eclipse glasses or solar viewer before looking up at the bright sun. After looking at the sun, turn away and remove your filter — do not remove it while looking at the sun.
• Do not look at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed sun through an unfiltered camera, telescope, binoculars, or other optical device.
• Similarly, do not look at the sun through a camera, a telescope, binoculars, or any other optical device while using your eclipse glasses or hand-held solar viewer — the concentrated solar rays will damage the filter and enter your eye(s), causing serious injury.
• Seek expert advice from an astronomer before using a solar filter with a camera, a telescope, binoculars, or any other optical device. Note that solar filters must be attached to the front of any telescope, binoculars, camera lens, or other optics.
• If you are within the path of totality, remove your solar filter only when the moon completely covers the sun’s bright face and it suddenly gets quite dark. Experience totality, then, as soon as the bright sun begins to reappear, replace your solar viewer to look at the remaining partial phases.
• Outside the path of totality, you must always use a safe solar filter to view the sun directly.
• If you normally wear eyeglasses, keep them on. Put your eclipse glasses on over them, or hold your handheld viewer in front of them.

Regional library director Kathy Hendrixson--It’s a fantastic opportunity for the community to come together for something special and be a part of what might be a once-in-a-lifetime event.