West Kentucky Community & Technical College

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Free Presentation at WKCTC about Total Solar Eclipse of 2017

Public Invited

WKCTC MEDIA RELEASE: Paducah, KY (04/18/2017) — Next week, West Kentucky Community and Technical College is offering a presentation to discuss August's total solar eclipse. The public is invited to the free, one-hour presentation Monday, April 24 at 11 a.m. in Waller Hall 112.

Dr. Victor Taveras, WKCTC's assistant professor of physics and astronomy, will discuss the science behind the rare total solar eclipse that will occur Monday, August 21, 2017 - the first total solar eclipse visible from the southeastern United States in over 45 years.

A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is larger than the Sun's, blocking all direct sunlight, turning day into darkness. Paducah is on the unique corridor of totality and will witness a duration of 2 min 21 sec of darkness, just shy of the longest duration of 2 min 41.6 sec on Earth.

Dr. Taveras earned a bachelor of science degree in physics and mathematics from the University of Rhode Island before completing a doctorate degree in physics from Pennsylvania State University specializing in Loop Quantum Gravity and Loop Quantum Cosmology. He continued this research at Louisiana State University before joining the faculty at WKCTC in fall 2011.

The April 24 presentation helps set the stage for WKCTC's Night at Noon event on the day of the eclipse. The college's event will include free viewing glasses, vendors, food, music and a chance to meet Terry Wilcutt, Kentucky's only astronaut. Night at Noon visitors will also have a chance to win an Xbox One and game. For more information, visit nightatnoon.org.

Night at Noon media sponsor are Electric 96.9 and All Good Media.

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West Kentucky Community and Technical College (WKCTC) has been recognized as an Aspen Prize Top 10 Community College each of the four times the Prize has been awarded by the Aspen Institute and has twice been named a Finalist With Distinction for providing students with strong job training and continuing higher education opportunity, for achieving high completion and transfer rates, and for providing strong employment results for its graduates.

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