On Aug. 21, Scholastic and Holiday Inn Nashville-Vanderbilt are teaming up to celebrate the first total solar eclipse in nearly 100 years and experience this unique celestial event. The hotel is along the eclipse totality line, providing families with the optimal view of this rare celestial occurrence. Kids and parents alike will learn about space with the “Magic School Bus Presents: Our Solar System” book while cherishing this unforgettable moment together. There will be space-themed crafts, story time and photo ops with Scholastic characters and special glasses provided for guests to ensure optimal eclipse viewing. The solar eclipse viewing party is complimentary for hotel guests. My family and I have also been invited to join in on this historic event!
This event is part of the Holiday Inn brand’s Summer of Smiles program, a new offering that provides in-hotel experiences curated for families complete with entertainment for all! These special occasions are the perfect way to spend quality time together and create lasting memories.
You might be asking yourself “What exactly is a solar eclipse?” This event occurs when the moon passes between the sun and Earth and blocks all or part of the sun for up to about three hours, from beginning to end, as viewed from a given location. For this eclipse, the longest period when the moon completely blocks the sun from any given location along the path will be about two minutes and 40 seconds. The last time the contiguous U.S. saw a total eclipse was in 1979.
Image Credit: NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio
Exactly who’ll be able to see this once in a lifetime event? Lots of people! Everyone in the contiguous United States, in fact, everyone in North America plus parts of South America, Africa, and Europe will see at least a partial solar eclipse, while the thin path of totality will pass through portions of 14 states. Are you located in one of the states where the thin path travels?
Image Credit: NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio
For your safety (and your family) remember to NEVER look directly into the sun. There are special glasses that you can use leading up to the totality. Be sure to also check if your glasses have been recalled. Several glasses in the Nashville area given out by the Health Department were deemed to not be safe enough, so remember to use caution and most of all common sense!
If you have pets like we do, be sure to also leave them at home. I mean my dog would freak out from the slightest thing so there’s no telling how in the world he’d react to this!
If you’re not located in the path where the solar eclipse can be viewed the best you can still learn about it and share the experience with your family. Many websites will have live feeds where you can track the travel of it…just like Santa! How fun is that! My girls are excited and we can’t wait! How are you planning to spend this day?
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