The Great American Eclipse Is Coming

Unless you’ve been on a secluded island for the past year or so, you probably have heard about the solar eclipse that we will get to experience next Monday, August 21. This event is being labeled “The Great American Eclipse,” because it’s the first total eclipse to happen in 38 years, and will be visible in all of North America, at varying degrees of coverage. While all of the United States will see at least a partial eclipse, the path of totality is expected to touch parts of nine states: Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky and North and South Carolina. An area near Carbondale, Illinois will experience the longest time at totality, at over two and a half minutes of darkness. Our neighbors in Missouri are sure to experience a rise in traffic over the next few days, with many people planning to travel to areas of totality.

The U.S. Census Bureau has put together this chart to show the population size comparisons of some of the cities that will witness the eclipse totality. It has also gathered a resource list of other interesting statistics regarding the eclipse.

The St. Louis Eclipse Task Force has been working to educate the public about the eclipse since 2014. The group’s website has great videos that promote eye safety, downloadable eclipse maps and links to weather resources.

If you prefer to watch the eclipse from afar, while protecting your eyes, NASA has created a site where the event will be streamed online in real time. There’s even a fun little clock counting down the minutes until The Great American Eclipse starts.