Want to ‘tailgaze’? Clemson may have the best view of the eclipse in SC

If you’re still trying to figure out where to catch the eclipse, Clemson University says it expects to have the best viewing conditions in South Carolina.

Clemson is expecting thousands on campus for “The Great American Eclipse” on Aug. 21. The university will be offering free protective eye glasses for those who historic event on campus.

Clemson also is offering 900 spaces large enough to allow for “tailgazing” for $50. Those who buy the parking spots will get five pairs of solar glasses to protect viewers’ eyes from the damaging rays of the sun.

If the drive makes you wonder if you should go somewhere else, consider this: Clemson is among the top 10 cities in the eclipse’s path because it is expected to have a 75 percent change of having viewable conditions on that day.

Columbia is the second largest city on the East Coast in the path of the eclipse and the largest city in the state with the longest blackout time, at about two minutes and 36 seconds.

The only period it will be safe to watch the eclipse in Columbia without eyewear is the approximately 2 minutes and 30 seconds when the moon totally blacks out the sun.

Only during a total eclipse do you get a 360-degree sunset, sudden temperature drop, and a clear view of the sun’s corona. Witnesses have reported feeling goosebumps and euphoria at the spectacle.

The last total solar eclipse over the continental U.S. was in February 1979, when it was visible only from five Northwestern states. The last coast-to-coast eclipse in U.S. was in 1918. The next time a total solar eclipse will be visible from the greater Columbia area will be the year 2078.

This story was originally published July 19, 2017 at 1:28 PM with the headline "Want to ‘tailgaze’? Clemson may have the best view of the eclipse in SC."