Iliadis headlines ‘Eclipse on a Warship’ event in Charleston

UNC Physics and Astronomy Department Chair Dr. Christian Iliadis gave a presentation in Charleston, SC for the Patriots Point Eclipse on a Warship event. Visitors at the event were able to view the solar eclipse from the flight deck of the U.S.S. Yorktown, a warship decommissioned in 1970 which now serves as a naval museum. Around 3,000 people were in attendance.

The event was named in the New York Times as one of the six major eclipse viewing events in the United States, and it was promoted in several other eclipse viewing guides prior to August 21. Prof. Iliadis appeared on MSNBC to discuss the eclipse and demonstrate a pinhole viewer from the flight deck. Dr. Douglas Terrier, NASA Chief Technologist, and other NASA scientists were also in attendance.

Eclipse totality occurred in Charleston at 2:46 pm and lasted for approximately one minute and thirty-three seconds. It was the last large U.S. city to experience the eclipse and was a popular destination for many seeking a view of the event. Though the sky was overcast in Charleston on August 21, the cloud cover dispersed long enough for the totality to be viewed by the crowd.

More links:
MSNBC Transcript and Video Clip