A-State Heritage Sites to host Great American Eclipse activities

Two of Arkansas State University’s Heritage Sites will host several activities on the day of and the days leading up to the Great American Ellipse on April 8.

The Arkansas Roots Ride will begin at the Johnny Cash Boyhood Home in Dyes on April 6. Dr. Les Johnson, a physicist, author and NASA space propulsion technologist and principal investigator, will speak about the science of solar eclipses on April 7.

“The partial eclipse will begin at Dyess at approximately 12:38 p.m. and will last two hours and 37 minutes. The eclipse will peak at 99.38% totality at approximately 1:57 p.m., said Penny Toombs, director of the Boyhood Home.

The Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum and Educational Center (HPMEC) will host a three-day series of events starting April 5, with a movie, “October Sky,” on the lawn. On April 7, tours of the Pfeiffer home will be held. A presentation on the eclipse will be held on the museum grounds by Johnson on the day of the eclipse.

“It is important to provide educational programming for all ages to our community in the Delta,” said Shannon Williams, HPMEC director.

The sun will be partially obscured by the moon in Piggott from 12:24 p.m. until about 3:15 p.m. and will reach totality from 1:56 until 1:59 p.m., lasting 3 minutes and 16 seconds.