HOPKINSVILLE, Ky. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – Hopkinsville Community College will host a true American hero for viewing the Great American Eclipse.
At the eclipse viewing event, guests of the college have an opportunity to meet NASA Astronaut Steve Bowen and hear his highlights of spaceflight missions, his hours of space walking and how a U.S. Navy submariner became an astronaut. The Johnson Space Center Astronaut Appearances Office receives thousands of requests for astronaut visits each year, and very few of the requests can be accommodated due to technical assignments for ongoing and future programs, as well as the 24/7 support of crews aboard the International Space Station.
“We are ‘over the moon’ to be hosting Astronaut Bowen, and know that his presentation and subsequent meet and greet will be a highlight of a very exciting day on our campus,” Yvette Eastham, Chief Institutional Advancement Officer stated. “We are so grateful to the staff of the Johnson Space Center for collaborating with the college to make this an incredibly historic day for the college.”
The High Altitude Balloon Satellite Team at HCC will also launch a near-space balloon on campus the morning of the eclipse as part of the NASA Nationwide Eclipse Ballooning Project. The team will provide video and real time data during the eclipse. The Eclipse Ballooning Project is a collaborative effort to live stream footage of the Moon’s shadow during the August 21, 2017 total solar eclipse from the edge of space – a feat that’s never been done before. The nationwide effort is being managed by Montana State University in Bozeman, Mont.
“Our campus family has been hard at work to ensure a great day of educational and informational activities,” said Eastham. “We are excited to welcome more than 3,000 guests from at least 34 and several countries including Japan, France, Great Britain and Canada.”
A series of interactive presentations and lectures will also be featured on campus prior to and immediately following the eclipse.
Here is everything you need to know about the solar eclipse.