Roane State’s main campus in Harriman will offer front row seating to a once-in-a-lifetime event, says Dr. Markus Pomper, Dean of Roane State Community College’s Division of Mathematics and Sciences. On August 21, 2017 a total solar eclipse will take place and will reach its maximum for about two-and-a-half minutes around 2:30 p.m. EDT, Pomper said. As a lead-up to the phenomenon, there will be a lecture about eclipses from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the O’Brien Theatre on the Harriman campus by Dr. David Fields, director of Roane State’s Tamke-Allan Observatory. Then, attendees will be able to view the eclipse from Roane State’s main student parking lot and the adjoining grassy area at 276 Patton Lane from 1 until 3 p.m. While the totality of the eclipse will occur at 2:31 pm, a partial eclipse will be visible starting at 1:00 pm. Pomper said the college would have a limited number of eclipse viewing glasses available.