The Eclipse is Almost Here
I love looking at the sky. Day or night I have always memorized by the beauty you can find in the clouds or stars. In my high school and college years I took a few classes that focused on astronomy and fell even more in love with the sky.
It was a great surprise to learn last year that this coming Monday, August 21 we will be treated to a total solar eclipse. Kansas City will be within the path of totality and we are expecting a lot of visitors to come see the eclipse. It will be a wonderful once in a lifetime experience. This will be the first time since 1918 that a solar eclipse will cross the USA from the Pacific to the Atlantic coasts. The United States is buzzing with excitement as the day comes closer. Stores are selling out of solar eclipse within hours of receiving new shipments. Schools have planned activities for their students, and will be viewing the eclipse as a whole. Even companies have lunches planned for their employees with allowed time to go outside and view the total eclipse. With such unity in this event one can’t help but be excited. The only issue will be whether the weather will allow us to view it.
The event will be broadcast through NASA for those who will not be in the path of totality, or those who will be unlucky enough to have bad weather. The NASA website also has a lot of information on the eclipse. There are important tips on safety viewing during the eclipse. For those who will not be in the path of totality it is never safe to look at the sun without protection. The max time of totality will be about 2 minutes. Carbondale, Illinois will have a max time of 2 minutes and 38 seconds, and they will surely be overrun with people from neighboring states and from far away. There is a very helpful map on the NASA website that shows what cities will be within the path of totality or how long the partial eclipse will be.
I cannot contain my excitement for the eclipse. I have been lucky enough to see a lunar eclipse, meteor showers, and even once my astronomy class was treated to a glimpse of the Northern Lights after a powerful solar flare. Of course it was only the red aurora, but it was an amazing sight to be seen. I am ready to add this solar eclipse to my growing list. Star gazing has been a passion for me and now I might get to see the stars during the solar eclipse. How f***ing cool would that be!
