The town of Lebanon, Indiana has been preparing for their total solar eclipse on April 8th with a time capsule to hold mementos related to this once in a 375-year-event. This year's total solar eclipse is mapped by scientists to cast a 115-mile-wide shadow from Mexico, over 15 U.S. states, then on to Canada while the moon blocks the sun entirely. This totality will allow curious onlookers within the path of this phenomenon just a few minutes to see the sun's corona while wearing protective glasses or using pin-hole projectors. How long you get to witness this event - from one to four minutes - depends on the area where you watch the eclipse.
The 15,000 residents of Lebanon, Indiana know exactly what's going into their time capsule to commemorate this solar event, that they're calling, "Total Eclipse of the Heart" with Boone County's tagline, "Get Mooned in Boone". Joe LePage of CRFM Communications and Community Development says, "The idea of the time capsule just popped into my head when I saw the next date Lebanon will be in the path of totality. Since none of us will be around for it, I thought a time capsule would be fun."
LePage says the time capsule won't be buried, it will be on display with eclipse promotional items such as banners, special glasses, stickers, shirts, bracelets, newspapers, and pictures. Even the Today show is getting excited for the eclipse, showing how other cities around the country are getting ready for an event that won't happen again for another 319 years.
If you can't travel to a nearby city within the path of totality, NASA will be streaming it on their website, www.NASA.com.
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