TOTAL ECLIPSE DAY

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Today, I hope you will be able to enjoy one of nature's most awe-inspiring sights, a total solar eclipse. We are fortunate that Columbia is one of the best places to watch it. Columbia is in the path of totality, providing a rare opportunity to see the moon completely cover the sun. When viewing the eclipse, please remember these important safety issues as provided by NASA, which can also be found by visiting, https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/ :

Looking directly at the sun is unsafe except during the brief total phase of the solar eclipse (totality).
The only safe way to look directly at the partially eclipsed sun is through eclipse glasses. Homemade filters or ordinary sunglasses, even dark ones, are not safe.
If you are uncertain if your glasses are safe, go to the NASA website above to see a list of the authorized manufacturers and dealers.
Do not look at the sun through a camera, telescope, binoculars, or any other optical device.
If you normally wear eyeglasses, keep them on and put your eclipse glasses on over them.
It's safe to remove the glasses only when the moon completely covers the sun's bright face and it suddenly gets quite dark. Experience the totality, but then as soon as the bright sun begins to reappear, put the glasses back on.