Bays Mountain produces film,'Totality'; Playing in planetariums across country Copyright by WJHL - All rights reserved Video

KINGSPORT, TN (WJHL)- This year the U.S. is in a rare path for the total solar eclipse happening August 21st. It's the first time in a century a total eclipse will stretch coast to coast.

"It happens really, really close to the Tri-Cities," Bays Mountain Planetarium Director Adam Thanz said.

Now a production about the eclipse made right here in the Tri-Cities is making its way across the country. A team of astronomers and staff at Bays Mountain Planetarium in Kingsport spent a year and a half creating a short film called "Totality," it tells you everything you need to know about eclipses.

Now that show is playing at 33 other planetariums in the U.S. as people across the country plan to see the total solar eclipse.

"We knew how important the eclipse was going to be, we had to have a program about it," Thanz said.

We talked with one student as he was leaving "Totality."

"I thought it was very interesting, I learned a lot," High school sophomore Nicholas Meredith said. "Now I'm even more excited for the solar eclipse."

So what is a total solar eclipse? It's where the sun, moon, and earth perfectly line up turning day in to night for a few minutes. Here in the Tri-Cities you'll see 96 percent of sun blocked by the moon. You'll also see some changes in the environment.

"The temperature change notice that, the wind will pick up, the animals will react," Thanz said.

You'll also get some one of a kind views.

"If you put your hand up first and then look that direction but blocking the sun near maximum to the left you'll see Jupiter to the right you will see Venus in the sky in the middle of the day," Thanz said.

Here in the Tri-Cities the partial eclipse will start at 1:07 p.m., and the maximum eclipse will happen at 2:36 p.m.

Thanz said because of limited parking there, they don't recommend going to Bays Mountain to view the eclipse, they say your backyard is just as good.

If you want to learn about how eclipses occur and what they are like ahead of August 21st you can see "Totality" at Bays Mountain Planetarium through August 20th.

The show is about 25 minutes long and is shown Monday through Friday at 1 o'clock and 4 o'clock, then on Saturday and Sunday at 1, 4, and 5 p.m.

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