CROSS LANES, W.Va. — The Kanawha Valley Astronomical Society will host a special viewing event for the solar eclipse on Monday.
The viewing is open to the public at the KVAS Breezy Point Observatory located near Cross Lanes. Event goers are encouraged to arrive before 1:30.
William Scott Blake, vice president of KVAS, said special glasses will not be provided; however, they will have a telescope on hand with filters.
“People will be able to view the eclipse up until a certain point through our Breezy Point telescope. Club members recently made a solar filter, so you’re going to be able to see it safely through the telescope,” Blake said.
Event goers should have their eyes protected, Blake said. He’s encouraged people to bring their own glasses.
“I suggest that people look online or look for other resources on how to make a box viewer or a projector. It’s very important that they don’t look at the sun with the naked eye,” he said.
Blake said the big event also creates an opportunity to learn more about the sun.
“I hope that they learn more about the composition of the sun. There’s a great deal of orbital mechanics involved to do this. I hope this gives them a little bit of perspective about how things are moving and how things are working in our solar system,” he said.
People are encouraged to bring water and sunscreen to the event.
The event is free and open to the public.
Monday’s eclipse is scheduled to last between 1 to 4 p.m. in West Virginia.
For more information, visit http://www.kvas.org/index.html.