Press. voanews.com
A total solar eclipse will march across the United States on Monday,
casting a shadow from Oregon's Pacific Coast, across the U.S. heartland, all
the way to South Carolina's Atlantic Coast.
Why is this eclipse so anticipated?
This will be the first time in 38 years that the mainland United States
will experience a total eclipse, and it will be the first time in 99 years that
a total eclipse will pass from the U.S. Pacific Coast to the U.S. Atlantic
Coast. The last time that happened was in 1918, traveling from Washington state
to Florida.
Hawaii experienced a total solar eclipse in 1991.
Total eclipses happen every one to three years somewhere in the world,
however, they are most likely to take place over the ocean since most of the
Earth is covered by water.
What is an eclipse?
A total eclipse happens when the moon passes between the Earth and the
sun and completely blots out the sun's light, except for the corona of its
outer atmosphere. From Earth, the moon will appear to be the same size as the
sun. This is possible because while the moon is 400 times smaller than the sun
in diameter, it is also 400 times closer to Earth than the sun. When the two
line up exactly, the skies go dark.
Where can I see the eclipse?
The path of totality, where the moon's shadow will completely cover the
sun, is a diagonal band that cuts across the country, about 100 kilometers
wide. Those outside that narrow band can still see a partial eclipse, extending
up to Canada and down to the top of South America.
Totality will begin near Lincoln City, Oregon, cross the states of
Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky,
Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina and finally South Carolina.
The biggest cities in the path include Nashville, Tennessee; Charleston,
South Carolina; and Salem, Oregon.
How long will it last?
The total eclipse will last longest near Carbondale, Illinois: 2 minutes
and 44 seconds. The first city to enter the totality will be Lincoln Beach,
Oregon, at 10:16 a.m. Pacific time and last to exit the totality is Charleston,
South Carolina, at 2:48 p.m. Eastern time.
How can I watch it?
About 12 million people are estimated to live in the path of totality
while tens of thousands of others are planning to travel to witness the event,
many to remote parks and rangelands across the U.S. heartland. To avoid eye
damage, experts say everyone should wear special solar glasses. Many cities
have seen long lines of people waiting to pick up protective eye glasses and
the price for such glasses have spiked online.
Heavy clouds will hide the most dramatic effects of the eclipse, causing
travelers to carefully plan where to go to find the best visibility. The
forecast looks best in the Western U.S., while South Carolina is the one place
in the totality most likely to see clouds. Some travelers are preparing several
options in the hopes of finding clear skies, although officials say there could
also be gridlocked roads as the eclipse approaches and tourists chase blue
skies.
When is the next one?
The next total solar eclipse to touch the U.S. won't be for another
seven years. In 2024, a line of totality will cross from Texas, up through the
Midwest, and then over to New York, New England and New Brunswick, Canada. Outside of the United States, the next eclipse will occur in 2019 and
will be viewable from the South Pacific, Chile, and Argentina.