A celestial spectacle is coming to York, Nebraska. On the afternoon of Monday, August 21, York will be plunged into darkness for more than 2 minutes as the moon passes between the earth and the sun and the sun’s light is blocked in a total eclipse. The shadow of the moon will fall in a thin, 70 mile-strip moving South East across the U.S., from Oregon to South Carolina. The closer you are to the centerline of that shadow, the longer the totality of the eclipse will last, up to 2 minutes and 40 seconds. York is a scant 14 miles from the center line, so the totality will last 2 minutes and 19 seconds on campus. The partial eclipse will begin at 11:35 a.m. and will reach totality at 1 p.m.

The last total solar eclipse to be viewed from York, Nebraska, was in 1194. York will not see another such event until 2744. This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime event.

York College is not hosting an eclipse viewing event for the general public, however, if alumni and friends would like to join us on the field on the center of campus, they are welcome to do so. Bring some sunscreen, lawn chair, and special eclipse viewing glasses and enjoy the show. Due to the fact that students will be returning for the fall semester at that time, there will not be any space available for guests who wish to spend the night on campus. Book your hotel rooms as soon as possible if you are planning to stay overnight. Our region is expecting a high volume of eclipse watchers, so it may be difficult to find accommodations closer to the event. For more information, see www.york.edu/eclipse.