Many people will gather in various locations throughout the city to witness history on Monday, August 21. At approximately 1:28 pm, mid-day will appear as midnight when the sun will cover the moon.

Clark Memorial United Methodist Church, 1014 14th Ave. N., will open its doors at 11 am to witness this solar eclipse.

The public is invited to come in and view the eclipse in the fellowship hall on the big screen television while enjoying Sun Chips and Moon Pies as the United Methodist Men sponsor the ‘Eclipse, Sun Chips & Moon Pies’ watch party.

A solar eclipse is a type of eclipse that occurs when the moon passes between the sun and Earth, and when the moon fully or partially blocks (‘occults’) the Sun. This can happen only at new moon when the sun and the moon are in conjunction as seen from the earth in an alignment referred to as syzygy. In a total eclipse, the disk of the sun is fully obscured by the moon. In a partial or annular eclipse, only part of the sun is obscured.

If the Moon were in a perfectly circular orbit, a little closer to the earth, and in the same orbital plane, there would be total solar eclipses every month. However, since the moon’s orbit is tilted at more than 5 degrees to the earth’s orbit around the sun, its shadow usually misses Earth.

The moon’s orbit must cross the earth’s ecliptic plane in order for an eclipse (both solar as well as lunar) to occur.

Downtown Nashville should experience roughly two minutes of darkness around 1:28 p.m., with slightly shorter times in places southwest of downtown and longer ones northeast. La Vergne and Smyrna will also get two minutes or so about two minutes after Nashville.

Those with a desire to witness the eclipse from outside must bring the appropriate glasses to protect their eyes.

Clark Memorial is located at 1014 14th Ave. N. where Rev. Dr. Herbert L. Lester, Jr. is the senior pastor.