National Geographic Celebrates Historic Solar Eclipse with Live Coverage of the Event Online, Web Portal Featuring Exclusive Visuals and Educational Materials, and More

WASHINGTON, Aug. 18, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As millions of people across the country are gearing up for the first total solar eclipse to cross the U.S. in nearly a century, National Geographic is offering a full day of coverage, including live commentary from science experts on the ground and stunning visuals, to help people witness this remarkable event. National Geographic has created a number of original resources to enhance viewers' experience and convey the extraordinary nature of this event, including a solar eclipse hub, a 101 video explainer, a detailed map of the path of totality across the U.S. and more.

In addition, National Geographic has teamed up with Airbnb to provide live coast to coast coverage of the eclipse starting the night before the event where two National Geographic Explorers will host a live digital broadcast from a Airbnb Geodesic Dome in Terrebonne, Oregon. Internationally recognized scholar and astrophysicist Dr. Jedidah Isler and acclaimed National Geographic photographer and science journalist Babak Tafreshi will discuss the science behind the eclipse and answer viewers' questions in anticipation of the next day's historic event.

The live coverage will continue the next day as the total solar eclipse begins its path across the US. Viewers will hear from National Geographic experts stationed along the path of totality, see stunning photos, and be among the first to see the eclipse as it reaches the continental US. Hosting the broadcast will be award-winning science communicator, journalist and podcaster Cara Santa Maria. She will be joined by Former International Space Station and National Geographic author of View from Above Terry Virts. Viewers will have the opportunity to have their questions answered during the broadcast by using #NatGeoEclipse.

National Geographic science experts and explorers stationed throughout the country as part of the broadcast and available for interviews include: Andrew Fazekas from Isle of Palm, South Carolina and Victoria Jaggard from Sweetwater, Tennessee.

The live coverage will broadcast over Facebook Live, Twitter via Periscope, and on YouTube beginning at 10 p.m. EST/7 p.m. PST on August 20^th and 9:30 a.m. PT/12:30 p.m. ET on August 21^st.

National Geographic and Airbnb are also offering one lucky winner and a guest a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to sleep under the stars in the outskirts of Bend, Oregon before taking flight the morning of August 21 to be among the first to witness the solar eclipse before it crosses the US. Guests will interact with Dr. Jedidah Islerand and Babak Tafreshi during their stay. Please visit Airbnb's Night At Solar Eclipse page to learn more.

Please visit our solar eclipse content at natgeo.com/solar eclipse and tune in to our live coverage of the solar eclipse beginning 9:30 a.m. PT/12:30 p.m. ET on August 21^st.

About National Geographic Partners LLC

National Geographic Partners LLC (NGP), a joint venture between National Geographic and 21st Century Fox, is committed to bringing the world premium science, adventure and exploration content across an unrivaled portfolio of media assets. NGP combines the global National Geographic television channels (National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo MUNDO, Nat Geo PEOPLE) with National Geographic's media and consumer-oriented assets, including National Geographic magazines; National Geographic studios; related digital and social media platforms; books; maps; children's media; and ancillary activities that include travel, global experiences and events, archival sales, licensing and e-commerce businesses. Furthering knowledge and understanding of our world has been the core purpose of National Geographic for 129 years, and now we are committed to going deeper, pushing boundaries, going further for our consumers … and reaching over 730 million people around the world in 172 countries and 43 languages every month as we do it. NGP returns 27 percent of our proceeds to the nonprofit National Geographic Society to fund work in the areas of science, exploration, conservation and education. For more information visit natgeotv.com or nationalgeographic.com, or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, YouTube, LinkedIn and Pinterest.

About Airbnb

Founded in 2008, Airbnb's mission is to create a world where people can belong when they travel by being connected to local cultures and having unique travel experiences. Its community marketplace provides access to millions of unique accommodations from apartments and villas to castles and treehouses in more than 65,000 cities and 191 countries. With Experiences, Airbnb offers unprecedented access to local communities and interests, while Places lets people discover the hidden gems of a city as recommended by the people that live there. Airbnb is people powered and the easiest way to earn a little extra income from extra space in a home or from sharing passions, interests and cities.

SOURCE National Geographic Partners

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