The Great American Solar Eclipse of August 21, 2017: a Viewing Expedition to the Path of Totality overlooking beautiful Lake Keowee, SC

FINAL SC VIEWING PLANS & WEATHER UPDATE as of Monday, Aug 21st at 4:00 AM:  Based on the nice weather that continues to be expected at Lake Keowee, SC on Monday, we're definitely sticking with our originally announced plan to view the Eclipse from the vicinity of "The Lighthouse" on Lake Keowee, which is "dead center" in the eclipse path, with 2 minutes and 39 seconds of totality.  See Details & Directions below (+ a discussion of our various Options) with the most important things highlighted.
  Our group will gather on the lakefront lawn of  The Lighthouse beginning at about 9:30 Monday morning.  Feel free to arrive and depart all day as you please!  There's an all-day-long free Eclipse Festival just 2 miles from The Lighthouse hosted by the Duke Power "World of Energy on Lake Keowee" (Details highlighted below) that those of us who arrive early can enjoy while waiting for the eclipse, etc.  Mostly sunny skies are expected at Lake Keowee during the 1:00 - 4:00 PM eclipse phases with an average of only about 28% of the sky obscured by clouds at any given moment and a miniscule 6% probability of precipitation.  A mid-afternoon high of about 88 degrees is now expected - cooling a few degrees as the skies darken during the eclipse!
  No need to worry about having your own pair of Eclipse Glasses which have been over-hyped and by now are sold out virtually everywhere.  We'll have plenty of the ISO-approved safe Glasses to share + Solar-filtered Binoculars, a Solar Telescope, etc.

TRAVEL & TRAFFIC CONSIDERATIONS:  Because of the extremely heavy I-85 northbound "Eclipse Traffic" that's now predicted it's important that each of us try to depart  from the Atlanta area toward Lake Keowee as soon as possible  - ideally even prior to our recently announced revised optional Carpooling time of 7AM Monday morning!  Regardless of whether you originally "signed up to carpool," feel free to drive up on your own to The Lighthouse at a time that's convenient to you, using the easy Directions & GPS info below.  For any who are still interested in our Carpooling option see those "newly tweaked" details & directions below.  Esp. since parking at the I-85 Indian Trail Park & Ride may be a problem (e.g. due to other Eclipse groups having already left vehicles there) each of our parties who meet there (7AM or otherwise) should each be prepared to "caravan up" in our own vehicles if necessary, rather than carpool! 

 OTHER  VIEWING OPTIONS that you're welcome to consider:  Two new AOC Eclipse outings have been posted on our website since Thu Aug 17th:  A "Totally Toccoa" viewing party in Toccoa, GA and a Leita Thompson Park eclipse hike & picnic just north of Roswell, GA.

  For any AOCers who may wish to consider driving 250 to 300 miles or more from Atlanta  (on your own) in search of slightly clearer skies than Lake Keowee and also in the path of totality, a suggestion is NW Tennessee near Nashville, where the latest forecasts predict  about 20% average cloud cover and no more than a 5% chance of rain between 1:00 & 4:00.. Nashiville and other points along I-24 just northwest of the city are in the Total Eclipse path and about 250 miles north of Atlanta via I-75 and I-24.

IN a NUTSHELL:  The purpose of this event will be to offer Atlanta Outdoor Club members a shared group expedition to experience the "Great American Solar Eclipse."   If the weather cooperates our preferred viewing destination will be the lovely lakefront of Lake Keowee in SC's Blue Ridge foothills, an easy 2-hour drive from NE Atlanta and directly on the "center line of max totality!" - See more below.
  I consider this to be an "Explorer" event because of our goal of "exploring" the midafternoon sky during the various phases of this highly publicized "once-in-a-lifetime" astronomical phenomenon and experiencing its amazing special effects, including those on the earth around us.
  A worthy added goal will be for us to better appreciate the science behind eclipses.  During a total solar eclipse the round black shadow of the new moon completely occults the sun's disk for a few minutes for observers along a narrow "path of totality" on the surface of the earth.  Several centuries are likely to pass between successive total eclipses that are visible from the same location.

SAFE ECLIPSE VIEWING GEAR that WE CAN SHARE:  If you don't already have a pair of "Eclipse Glasses" don't worry about trying to find your own!  I (Charlie) will bring about a dozen pair of ISO-approved Eclipse Glasses and a pair of Solar-Filtered 7 x 50 Binoculars.  My friend Herm like me is a serious amateur astronomer and plans to bring his Solar-Filtered Telescope and Binoculars to share. Several others in our group have said that they have extra Eclipse Glasses which they can share  Be assured that the eclipse gear we bring will be safe and "ISO=approved."
  It's absolutely safe to view the eclipse with the naked eye during its few minutes of totality, but necessary to use adequate safety gear if you stare at the sun or more than a half second or so during the partial phases; i.e, the same eye-safety guidelines as for viewing the sun or glancing at it on any normal day! 

ECLIPSE PATH through the US: On the afternoon of Monday Aug 21, 2017 the moon's shadow will sweep across the entire "lower 48" in about 4 hours, with all of the partial and total eclipse phases occurring in the US between 12:05 PM and 4:10 PM EDT (Eastern Daylight Time).  The path of totality that surrounds the "center line" of this eclipse will be about 70 miles wide, with no more than 2 minutes and 45 seconds of totality from any viewing location within that path.  The east-moving shadow of the moon will enter the US from the Pacific Ocean and include a successive swath across the heartlands of Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, Missouri, Tennessee and finally South Carolina, before exiting the USA into the Atlantic. The totality path will also include small portions of a few other states including GA and NC.

TOTAL ECLIPSE "TRI-STATE CORNER" of GA, SC & NC:  Unfortunately here in Atlanta the eclipse will not quite reach 100% Totality, but weather permitting, it will be viewable as a Total eclipse in the NE corner of our state (near Clayton, GA) and in its adjoining SC and NC mountains & foothills. Totality will occur between about 2:35 and 2:38 PM in that "high-country" region of GA, SC and NC.
  This will be the first TOTAL eclipse visible from anywhere in Georgia since March 7, 1970, when the narrow path of totality passed through the SE portion of the state near Savannah and St. Simons Island.  That one 47 years ago was enjoyed in Atlanta and throughout most of the eastern US as a "PARTIAL" eclipse from wide-ranging viewing locations outside its totality path, as this one will also be - see more below.  On May 30th, 1984 there was also a very memorable "annular" eclipse that we enjoyed viewing here in Atlanta, with a thin ring of sunlight visible around the moon for a few seconds at max eclipse.

DON'T MISS the PARTIAL PHASES!  Although the max length of TOTALITY of this eclipse will be only about 2-1/2 minutes as viewed from any single location along its "center line" the "partial phases" (when a varying size "chunk of the sun is missing" before and after totality) are also amazing and will last up to about 90 minutes each, even at locations outside the totality path.  Weather permitting, viewers throughout the entire "lower 48" will get to see AT LEAST 55% of the sun's disk area obscured at max eclipse.  (97% of the sun obscured here in Atlanta! - and more than 85% throughout GA.)  As the moon's shadow "nips away" at the midday sun, weird things begin to happen:  Splotches of sunlight under trees become crescent-shaped and wild birds may "go to roost" in the trees assuming that night is arriving.

SPECIAL REASONS to "GO TOTAL!"  We astronomy buffs consider it well worth the effort to travel a few extra miles or hours for the opportunity to view a solar eclipse from near the center line of its totality path.  During the few minutes of totality amazing "special effects" appear, including "Baily's Beads," the "Diamond Ring Effect," and the brilliant "Solar Corona."  Also the bright planet Venus may appear in the sky near the sun.  Such phenomena aren't visible at all in places where the eclipse is "partial," even if a tiny crescent of the sun's disk remains unobscured by the disk of the new moon (as in the above eclipse photo).

AOC VIEWING STRATEGIES:  During the few months prior to August 21st we'll firm up several alternate viewing locations near the eclipse "center line" - then during the week or two prior to the eclipse we'll keep a very close eye on the weather.  If cloudiness or rain is expected at any of our considered locations we should be prepared to drive up to 2 or 3 hours further to an alternate spot in TN, NC or SC that may be likely to have better sky clarity.

"THE LIGHTHOUSE" on LAKE KEOWEE is currently our preferred target destination for this trip, assuming that the weather cooperates.  In SC's scenic Blue Ridge mountain foothills just a 120-mile drive from NE Atlanta, this palatial restaurant and special events center is located directly on the center line of totality and should be an ideal viewing spot. It boasts a large grassy lakefront lawn where we can gather for the Eclipse, and there are nearby large shady trees and boating/ swimming opportunities.  The dockside "Cabana Bar" offers seafood delights and refreshing specialty drinks.  The Lighthouse main restaurant has nice upstairs private dining room.  If you'd like to join me for a nice group meal just after the Eclipse ends I've reserved it for ~4:00-5:00 PM for up to 35 of us. 
  As also mentioned in the Directitons section below The Lighthouse street address is 1290 Doug Hollow Rd, Seneca, SC 29672, and the concise GPS Lat/Lon address for our eclipse gathering (on the lawn beside it) is:   34.7758, -82.9197.  Click here for more Lighthouse info:  http://www.LighthouseKeowee.com/ 

OTHER AOC ECLIPSE VIEWING OPTIONS:   The "Duke Power World of Energy" public visitation center happens to be also on Lake Keowee, just an easy 2-mile drive NE of The Lighthouse and will be hosting their own big public-invited Eclipse viewing + Music, special Eclipse Lectures & televised "Live NASA  Eclipse Streaming."  I strongly suggest that we all check it out - esp. those of us who arrive by 11:00 AM or so at The Lighthouse. Here are the details as posted on their special webpage:
  The World of Energy will open at 7 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 21. Please bring lawn chairs and blankets. Parking will be limited, but overflow parking is available across Hwy. 130. Guests are welcome to bring food; no alcohol is allowed. Oconee Nuclear Station’s United Way and Relay for Life teams will be selling concessions, such as water, hot dogs, snow cones and ice cream. Pets must be leashed.  At 10 a.m., World of Energy Manager Rimel will again present the “The Carolina Eclipse of 1900,” hours before the long-anticipated beginning of the 2017 eclipse.  A disc jockey will add flair to the day, with a playlist centered on the moon and sun. Songs like “Moon River” and “Blue Moon” will be heavy in the rotation, as will “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” and “Here Comes the Sun.”  Inside the World of Energy will be a live-stream television broadcast of NASA’s eclipse website. Recently-retired NASA Deputy Chief Technologist Jim Adams will also narrate the eclipse on the World of Energy grounds through a public-address system when the eclipse darkening begins at 1:08 p.m. Monday, Aug. 21.
  Although I had discussed Clemson University's big "Eclipse over Clemson" event in my previous email and in my online AOC article, I no longer strongly recommend it for this reason:  Fall classes resume that very day (Aug 21st) and I have been advised that on-campus traffic and parking are likely to be about as bad as on home football game days!

In addition to this event, at least 4 other AOC Eclipse Day events are being offered for our members:     Another fine AOC excursion for viewing the Total and Partial phases in conjunction with a "D3" level Backpacking trip has been planned and posted by Mark Reffett and Lisa Anyan Smith.  Their "target venue" (weather permitting) is the Lake Burton vicinity in the North GA mountains. Here's the link to that AOC article: https://www.atlantaoutdoorclub.com/event/details.asp?eventid=13967 
  Joyce Taaffe and Carol Unger have unfortunately had to cancel the AOC eclipse event they had been planning to GA's highest peak, Brasstown Bald, since the U.S. Forest Service has decided to limit the number of visitors there on Eclipse day.
  Mark Withem is leading a "97% Eclipse" AOC Dayhike at Kennesaw Mtn Battlefield Park in NW metro Atlanta near Marietta.
  Two new AOC eclipse outings were posted on Aug 17th:  Ron Walker is leading our club participation in a "Totally Toccoa" viewing party in Toccoa, GA and Joyce Taaffe is leading a Leita Thompson Park eclipse hike & picnic just north of Roswell, GA.

A FEW EXCELLENT ECLIPSE LINKS:  

The following Wikipedia article includes 4 "Gallery" video clips that show how the moon's shadow and its dark central "dot of totality" sweeps eastward across the US obscuring the sun. The "rightmost" of the 4 videos is my favorite.  Click it for an inspiring 1-minute-long animated NASA-produced overview of the eclipse: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_eclipse_of_August_21,_2017   

The following webpage features an amazing easy-to-use interactive map of the eclipse path across the US that lets you zoom in & out (in "road map or satellite view") and click to determine the exact time the various partial and/or total phases begin and end at any location in the US.  Subtract 16:00 to get Eastern Daylight "PM" times from the "Universal Times" that are given -"17:00, 18:00...etc."  For example, by zooming and clicking on Atlanta a table pops up that shows that the partial eclipse phases begin here at 17:05 UT and end at 20:01 UT.  Subtracting 16:00 from each UT time results in 1:05 PM EDT (when Atlantans can first notice a "missing chunk" of the sun ) and 4:01 PM EDT (when the entire disk of the sun is again visible in Atlanta).  Click here for that fine interactive Map: http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site_pages/solar_eclipses/TSE_2017_GoogleMapFull.html

Here's a fine "all-round" 2017 "National Eclipse" webpage. It contains lots of interesting facts & graphics about this and other eclipses - also features good-quality but inexpensive viewing gear you can order such as "sunoculars." http://nationaleclipse.com/

More details, contingency plans, etc. may be added later to this article.  -CFC 1st draft on 8/29/2015 , with major revisions made in Jan, July & August 2017

DIRECTIONS from ATLANTA to  "THE LIGHTHOUSE" on Lake Keowee, SC - gathering on the large lawn near the lakefront Cabana Bar
"The Lighthouse" Address: 1290 Doug Hollow Rd, Seneca, SC 29672   Phone: 864-888-4446
Lat/Lon Coordinates to enter as alternate GPS destination address of Lighthouse Lawn (Include comma & minus sign): 34.7758,-82.9197

The route that I (Charlie) personally prefer is as follows:
1.  From metro Atlanta take I-85 North about 100 miles from Atlanta to the 2nd I-85 exit inside SC.  This is SC-59 (Exit #2) and is just 2 miles beyond the I-85 bridge which crosses Lake Hartwell at the GA/SC state line.
2. From the end of this I-85 "Exit 2" ramp turn left onto SC-59 signs northward and CAREFULLY follow those SC-59 signs through several turns for about 14 miles to the "North 1st Street" (SC-130) traffic light in Seneca, SC (about 1 block past the RR track - Note my correction -it's "1st Street, a.k.a. SC-130" - NOT "Main Street.").
3. Turn Right and stay on SC-130 eastward and then northward about 6 miles to the traffic light at Doug Hollow Rd (a.k.a State Rd 37-15.  This light is at the junction of SC-130 and SC-183, and is about 5 miles north of the jcn of  SC-30 and US-123.)
4.  Turn Left onto Doug Hollow Rd (State Rd 37-15) and go ~2 miles (note this slight correction!) to the free parking lot at "The Lighthouse" on your right.  (If the lot happens to be full it's OK to parallel park on the shoulder of Doug Hollow Rd, being sure not to block any traffic.)
5.  Look for our AOC eclipse viewing group on the lawn near the lakefront Cabana Bar.  Our "Club Headquarters" will be a "Tiger Paw Pop-up Tent" which we expect to erect by about 10:30 AM.

More details and/or changes to the above directions may follow, based on traffic assessments, etc. -Charlie