The 8 Things You Need to Know About Monday’s Eclipse

7 min readAug 18, 2017

The first local total solar eclipse since 1979 is about to pass over North America. On Monday, August 21st, this celestial phenomenon will be visible throughout Canada, the U.S., and Mexico. There has been a lot of buzz about the solar eclipse, so let’s dive into the facts our meteorologists think are most important for you to know before the sun goes dark.

1. The Science Behind Eclipses

What is a solar eclipse? A total solar eclipse happens when the new moon is in a straight line with the sun and earth. During its lunar orbit, the moon passes in between the sun and earth — completely covering the sun and all its light. Solar eclipses occur 2–3 times per year and can only be seen over a very small portion of the earth.

While we’re not experiencing a lunar eclipse on Monday, it’s important to understand the science behind them as well. A lunar eclipse occurs when the moon crosses the earth’s shadow, causing the moon to disappear from the sky. Unlike solar eclipses, you can view these anywhere throughout the world, as long as you can see the moon.

2. There are 4 Different Kinds of Eclipses

There are 4 different types of eclipses.

Total

A total solar eclipse is the one we described above. That’s when the moon completely blocks the sun from view on a small section of earth.

Partial

A partial solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes in between the sun and earth without being in a straight line. The result is that the moon only covers part of the sun’s light. Approximately 35% of solar eclipses are particle solar eclipses. These occur approximately 1–3 times per year.

Annual

An annual solar eclipse occurs when the moon’s distance affects how much of the sun’s light is blocked during the eclipse. You can still see the sun’s outer edges even while the moon is covering most of the disk. This causes the so called “ring of fire.” Annual solar eclipses occur just once per year.

Hybrid

Lastly, there are hybrid eclipses. Hybrid eclipses, like the name suggests, appear as both total and annual eclipses depending on where they are viewed from. These are the rarest of all solar eclipses. You position on the earth’s surface determines your angle of sight with respect to the location of the sun and the moon. These eclipses happen about once every 10 years.

3. Some Solar Eclipse History

Solar eclipses have been important throughout history. While originally viewed as omens that bring about death and destruction, these harmless celestial events actually helped proved Einstein’s theory of relativity. During the total solar eclipse of 1919, British astronomer and mathematician, Sir Arthur Eddington, tested Einstein’s theory of general relativity. By taking photographs of stars near the sun during the eclipse, Eddington was albe to show that gravity can bend light.

There were plenty of solar eclipses before that and have been plenty since. How long has it been since a solar eclipse? The last solar eclipse took place earlier this year. On February 27, 2017 an eclipse was visible over South America and Africa.

However, it has been a lot longer since North America has experienced a total solar eclipse. The last total solar eclipse where the path of totality fell over the United States was in 1979. Viewers in the Pacific Northwest and the northern Plains observed this breathtaking event.

4. The Path of Totality

We’ve talked a little bit about the path of totality. If you’re not sure what it is, it’s definitely important to understand before the eclipse happens. The path of totality is a 70 mile wide swath where viewers will experience a completely black out of the sun without any obscuration. The eclipse will be visibile no matter where you are located in the United States, however it will be even more impressive in the path of totality.

There are plenty of viewing parties and beautiful locations within the path of totality that will be great for people who are very excited about viewing the eclipse. You can find a list of what our meteorologists think are the best locations within the path of totality on our solar eclipse map post.

5. Solar Eclipse Timing

How long will the solar eclipse last? The eclipse will occur at different times across the U.S. and totality will last 1–3 minutes depending on your location. It will begin in Madras, Oregon at 9:06 a.m. PDT and will end in Columbia, S.C. at 4:06 p.m. EDT.

Here’s a list of the timing throughout the path of totality:

Madras, Oregon.: Begins at 9:06 a.m. PDT, ends at 11:41 a.m. PDT
Idaho Falls, Idaho: Begins at 10:15 a.m. MDT, ends at 12:58 p.m. MDT
Casper, Wyoming: Begins at 10:22 a.m. MDT, ends at 1:09 p.m. MDT
Lincoln, Nebraska: Begins at 11:37 a.m. CDT, ends at 2:29 p.m. CDT
Jefferson, Missouri: Begins at 11:46 a.m. CDT, ends at 2:41 p.m. CDT
Carbondale, Illinois: Begins at 11:52 a.m. CDT, ends at 2:47 p.m. CDT (2 minutes and 40 seconds of totality — The most anywhere)
Paducah, Ky.: Begins at 11:54 a.m. CDT, ends at 2:49 p.m. CDT
Nashville, Tenn.: Begins at 11:58 a.m. CDT, ends at 2:54 p.m. CDT
Clayton, Ga.: Begins at 1:06 p.m. EDT, ends at 4:01 p.m. EDT
Columbia, S.C.: Begins at 1:13 p.m. EDT, ends at 4:06 p.m. EDT

6. How To View a Solar Eclipse

You don’t want to miss the only total solar eclipse until 2024, so you should understand the best way to view it. Whether your under the direct path of the total eclipse or miles away, it is crucial that a viewing device is used for the duration of the event. Good solar eclipse viewing devices include a homemade pinhole projector, eclipse glasses, or number 14 welder’s glass.

Residents in the direct path of the solar eclipse will have a short chance to see the sun’s corona. The corona is the outermost layer of the sun’s atmosphere and can only be seen during a total solar eclipse. The moment when the moon completely covers the sun, blocking the sun’s light, the glow of the corona can be seen. Even though the eclipse at this time will only be as bright as a full moon, the corona can still damage your eyes for a viewing device must still be used.

Here’s some quick instructions for how you can create your own pinhole projector:

1. Cut a small square (1 inch x 1 inch) in one end of the box. Make the cut near either the left or right edge of the box .
2. Tape a piece of tinfoil over the square cut-out.
3. Using a pin or needle, punch a hole in the center of the tinfoil.
4. Tape down a sheet of white paper to the inside of the box on the side opposite of the tinfoil. This acts as an image screen for the eclipse.
5. If you used a box with an open side such as a shoe box, you will flip the box over, closed side up, and place the box over your head to view the eclipse. Just make sure your head doesn’t block the light path!
6. If you are using a closed box, cut another 1 inch by 1 inch square out on a side adjacent to where you taped the white paper. Make the cut so you can see the white paper in its entirety because this will be your viewing hole for the eclipse.

7. Eclipse Safety

As we briefly mentioned above, solar eclipses can be dangerous to the naked eye. It’s common sense to not stare directly at the sun, but it’s easy to forget during a total solar eclipse! This is because UV Rays from the sun can damage the outer structure of your eye, while the the brightness and intensity of the sun’s light can harm your eye’s focal point. You can even go blind. “Eclipse blindness,” scientifically known as solar retinopathy, occurs when the sun’s light floods your retinas, potentially burning or scarring them.

Be smart during the solar eclipse. If you want to view the eclipse with safety glasses, remember to get them ahead of time and make sure they meet the ISO standard: ISO 12312–2. Regular sunglasses WILL NOT WORK. This special safety glasses help protect your eyes by blocking 100% of UV Rays and infrared lightning in addition to 99.99% of intense visible light.

8. The Best Places to View the Total Eclipse

Now that you know why it’s happening and how to view it, it’s a good idea to check where the best places are to view the total solar eclipse. While everyone in the United States will be able to see the eclipse, the best spots are in the path of totality.

Most areas in the United States will see about 50=75% obscuration during the eclipse. If you’re right on the cusp of the 25% and 50% areas, we advise you head closer to the 50% areas if you can. Remember, either way you’ll still be able to see it!

If you are in the path of totality, these are some of the cities that are really going to have some of the best views of the total solar eclipse:

Salem, Oregon
Idaho Fall, Idaho
Grand Teton National Parl, Wyoming
Falls City, Nebraska
Kansas City, Missouri
Bowling Green, Kentucky
Madisonville, Tennessee
Blairsville, Georgia
Western Great Smoky Mountain National Park, North Carolina
Columbia, South Carolina

There are Plenty of Resources Out There

Our recent solar eclipse Q&A event on Facebook Live was a success, with Earth Networks meteorologist Steve Prinzivalli answering questions from people all over the country.

Take a look at the video below:

If you’d like to learn more about the 8/21 eclipse, visit www.earthnetworks.com/solar-eclipse-central