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| The Solar Eclipse: What to Expect | The Solar Eclipse: What to Expect |
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| • A total solar eclipse will cross the United States from coast to coast on Monday, starting just after 10 a.m. local time in Oregon and ending just before 3 p.m. in South Carolina. | • A total solar eclipse will cross the United States from coast to coast on Monday, starting just after 10 a.m. local time in Oregon and ending just before 3 p.m. in South Carolina. |
| • The last time an eclipse traveled across the entire country was in 1918. | • The last time an eclipse traveled across the entire country was in 1918. |
| • Veteran eclipse chasers say you should prepare to feel changed forever if this is your first total eclipse. We made a guide on how to watch the eclipse safely, and another if you’re stuck indoors. We’re collecting and sharing your photos from the eclipse here. | • Veteran eclipse chasers say you should prepare to feel changed forever if this is your first total eclipse. We made a guide on how to watch the eclipse safely, and another if you’re stuck indoors. We’re collecting and sharing your photos from the eclipse here. |
| • Weather forecasts suggested that Oregon and Tennessee would have favorable skies, and that Missouri, Nebraska and South Carolina faced the prospect of clouds and storms. Heavy traffic was anticipated in many states, but had not materialized in some by Sunday night. | • Weather forecasts suggested that Oregon and Tennessee would have favorable skies, and that Missouri, Nebraska and South Carolina faced the prospect of clouds and storms. Heavy traffic was anticipated in many states, but had not materialized in some by Sunday night. |
| • Scientists are hoping their studies of this eclipse will lead to important discoveries about the sun’s mysterious corona, which burns more than a million degrees hotter than the sun’s surface. | • Scientists are hoping their studies of this eclipse will lead to important discoveries about the sun’s mysterious corona, which burns more than a million degrees hotter than the sun’s surface. |
| The moon will begin to get in the sun’s way over the Pacific Ocean on Monday morning. This will create a zone that scientists call totality — the line where the moon completely blocks the sun, plunging the sea and then a strip of land across the continental United States into a darkness that people and other living things can mistake for premature evening. | The moon will begin to get in the sun’s way over the Pacific Ocean on Monday morning. This will create a zone that scientists call totality — the line where the moon completely blocks the sun, plunging the sea and then a strip of land across the continental United States into a darkness that people and other living things can mistake for premature evening. |
| Because of planetary geometry, the total eclipse can last less than one minute in some places, and as long as two minutes and 41 seconds in others. The eclipse’s longest point of duration is near a small town called Makanda, Ill., population 600. | Because of planetary geometry, the total eclipse can last less than one minute in some places, and as long as two minutes and 41 seconds in others. The eclipse’s longest point of duration is near a small town called Makanda, Ill., population 600. |
| Around 1:15 p.m. Eastern time, the total solar eclipse will first reach Oregon’s coast. Then it will race for the next 90 or so minutes over 13 more states: Idaho, Montana (barely), Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa (hardly), Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina and finally South Carolina. | Around 1:15 p.m. Eastern time, the total solar eclipse will first reach Oregon’s coast. Then it will race for the next 90 or so minutes over 13 more states: Idaho, Montana (barely), Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa (hardly), Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina and finally South Carolina. |
| At about 2:49 p.m. Eastern time in South Carolina, some lucky souls in the Palmetto State’s marshes could be the last on American soil to experience the total eclipse. Just after 4 p.m. Eastern, the partial eclipse will end and all of America will again be under the full August sun. | At about 2:49 p.m. Eastern time in South Carolina, some lucky souls in the Palmetto State’s marshes could be the last on American soil to experience the total eclipse. Just after 4 p.m. Eastern, the partial eclipse will end and all of America will again be under the full August sun. |
| If you don’t live in one of these states, don’t despair: Every American state will experience a partial solar eclipse (although it won’t darken the sky like a total eclipse). In Honolulu, the sun will be about 20 percent covered. In Brownsville, Texas, you’ll see something like a half sun. Here in New York when the maximum eclipse occurs around 2:44 p.m. Eastern, the sun will be just over 70 percent obscured (and here are tips for taking in New York City’s partial eclipse). | |
| It’s never a good idea to look directly at the sun. You know this from your daily life — look at the sun briefly and you’ll see spots when you turn away. | It’s never a good idea to look directly at the sun. You know this from your daily life — look at the sun briefly and you’ll see spots when you turn away. |
| But the excitement of a solar eclipse may trick you into believing that you can stare down our solar system’s explosive furnace. Don’t risk it. You can damage your eyes. | But the excitement of a solar eclipse may trick you into believing that you can stare down our solar system’s explosive furnace. Don’t risk it. You can damage your eyes. |
| Hopefully you’ve acquired reputable, trustworthy eclipse glasses by now. Your sunglasses won’t do the job. Wear your special glasses for viewing during the partial eclipse phases. | Hopefully you’ve acquired reputable, trustworthy eclipse glasses by now. Your sunglasses won’t do the job. Wear your special glasses for viewing during the partial eclipse phases. |
| If you’re in the line of totality once the total eclipse, you can remove your glasses once the sun is completely blocked and admire the enigmatic disc of the moon and the threads of corona that appear at its edges. Savor these minutes. Put your glasses back on as soon as the moon moves on and the sun begins to reappear. | If you’re in the line of totality once the total eclipse, you can remove your glasses once the sun is completely blocked and admire the enigmatic disc of the moon and the threads of corona that appear at its edges. Savor these minutes. Put your glasses back on as soon as the moon moves on and the sun begins to reappear. |
| Maybe you didn’t get eclipse glasses in time — they’re sold out at a lot of places — or maybe you got some that were fraudulent and you had to throw them away. You still have options for eclipse viewing. You can make a pinhole projector with two paper plates — here are some instructions, and a video demonstration of this technique. You can learn even more in our guide to safe eclipse viewing. | Maybe you didn’t get eclipse glasses in time — they’re sold out at a lot of places — or maybe you got some that were fraudulent and you had to throw them away. You still have options for eclipse viewing. You can make a pinhole projector with two paper plates — here are some instructions, and a video demonstration of this technique. You can learn even more in our guide to safe eclipse viewing. |
| Total solar eclipses are marvelous opportunities to study Earth’s intimate relationship with the sun. | Total solar eclipses are marvelous opportunities to study Earth’s intimate relationship with the sun. |
| Eclipses happen about once every 18 months. But because Earth’s surface is covered mostly by water, they tend to occur over remote locations that are difficult for scientists to reach with advanced equipment for observation. For most American scientists it is perhaps the most accessible total solar eclipse since the last one to touch the lower 48 states in 1979. And in those 38 years, their equipment and ability to study the phenomena have greatly improved. | Eclipses happen about once every 18 months. But because Earth’s surface is covered mostly by water, they tend to occur over remote locations that are difficult for scientists to reach with advanced equipment for observation. For most American scientists it is perhaps the most accessible total solar eclipse since the last one to touch the lower 48 states in 1979. And in those 38 years, their equipment and ability to study the phenomena have greatly improved. |
| Scientists have long been puzzled by the sun’s corona, the thin plasma veil that encases the star, because it burns more than a million degrees hotter than the sun’s surface. Only during totality is the corona visible from Earth. | Scientists have long been puzzled by the sun’s corona, the thin plasma veil that encases the star, because it burns more than a million degrees hotter than the sun’s surface. Only during totality is the corona visible from Earth. |
| That’s when astronomers and citizen scientists across the total eclipse’s 3,000-mile long path will focus their attention on the white, wispy crown. They will observe it with telescopes, some as a part of the Citizen CATE project which aims to film totality for 90 minutes across the country. A few scientists will even be collecting images of the corona from airplanes soaring about 45,000 feet in the air. | That’s when astronomers and citizen scientists across the total eclipse’s 3,000-mile long path will focus their attention on the white, wispy crown. They will observe it with telescopes, some as a part of the Citizen CATE project which aims to film totality for 90 minutes across the country. A few scientists will even be collecting images of the corona from airplanes soaring about 45,000 feet in the air. |
| Another headliner is Earth’s ionosphere, the electrically charged layer of the upper atmosphere through which communication and navigation signals move. Scientists will use radio waves from ham radios, GPS sensors and giant radars to investigate how this layer is affected by the sudden darkening caused by the eclipse. | Another headliner is Earth’s ionosphere, the electrically charged layer of the upper atmosphere through which communication and navigation signals move. Scientists will use radio waves from ham radios, GPS sensors and giant radars to investigate how this layer is affected by the sudden darkening caused by the eclipse. |
| In Salem, Ore., on Sunday, Jay Pasachoff, one of the world’s leading eclipse astronomers, was looking forward to his 34th total solar eclipse. | In Salem, Ore., on Sunday, Jay Pasachoff, one of the world’s leading eclipse astronomers, was looking forward to his 34th total solar eclipse. |
| Working with colleagues, and students from Williams College, Professor Pasachoff rattled off a list of equipment that included almost two dozen Nikon cameras, 33 computers and approximately two dozen telescopes. Asked why so there was so much equipment, he said, “It only lasts two minutes. Something has to work.” — Nicholas St. Fleur and Dennis Overbye | Working with colleagues, and students from Williams College, Professor Pasachoff rattled off a list of equipment that included almost two dozen Nikon cameras, 33 computers and approximately two dozen telescopes. Asked why so there was so much equipment, he said, “It only lasts two minutes. Something has to work.” — Nicholas St. Fleur and Dennis Overbye |
| By Sunday, eclipse mania had left roads in many states jammed. Wyoming transportation officials said the state’s population of 600,000 could double temporarily because of all the people heading for the zone of totality. | By Sunday, eclipse mania had left roads in many states jammed. Wyoming transportation officials said the state’s population of 600,000 could double temporarily because of all the people heading for the zone of totality. |
| In neighboring Colorado, the state transportation department warned travelers that traffic on Interstate 25 north toward Wyoming could look like “six Denver Broncos games all getting out at the same time.” | In neighboring Colorado, the state transportation department warned travelers that traffic on Interstate 25 north toward Wyoming could look like “six Denver Broncos games all getting out at the same time.” |
| The ranch community of Glendo, Wyo., population 204, was expecting to attract some 70,000 visitors. At the fire station on Sunday, emergency service workers said they had begun intense preparations for the eclipse more than a year ago. | The ranch community of Glendo, Wyo., population 204, was expecting to attract some 70,000 visitors. At the fire station on Sunday, emergency service workers said they had begun intense preparations for the eclipse more than a year ago. |
| “I just hope we have time to look up,” said Allen Haygood, a volunteer firefighter. | “I just hope we have time to look up,” said Allen Haygood, a volunteer firefighter. |
| Other prime viewing spots were quieter than anticipated, at least on Sunday. | Other prime viewing spots were quieter than anticipated, at least on Sunday. |
| Officials in Depoe Bay, Ore., population 1,500, had long anticipated a crush of visitors, and had allocated $50,000 of the city’s annual budget for portable toilets, soap, paper towels and other supplies. As of early Sunday, the crush had not appeared. There were even some vacancy signs at local motels. | Officials in Depoe Bay, Ore., population 1,500, had long anticipated a crush of visitors, and had allocated $50,000 of the city’s annual budget for portable toilets, soap, paper towels and other supplies. As of early Sunday, the crush had not appeared. There were even some vacancy signs at local motels. |
| The day before the eclipse, everyone was keeping an eye on the weather. | The day before the eclipse, everyone was keeping an eye on the weather. |
| The National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center said conditions appeared highly favorable in Oregon and the Tennessee Valley, with cloud cover forecast at 10 percent or less. | The National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center said conditions appeared highly favorable in Oregon and the Tennessee Valley, with cloud cover forecast at 10 percent or less. |
| The forecast was more uncertain elsewhere. Cloudy skies were anticipated in Nebraska, and the prospect of thunderstorms and variably cloudy skies were forecast around St. Louis. The Weather Service station in Charleston, S.C., warned that a storm system near Florida “could interfere with our view of the eclipse.” — Phoebe Flanigan, Henry Fountain and Julie Turkewitz | The forecast was more uncertain elsewhere. Cloudy skies were anticipated in Nebraska, and the prospect of thunderstorms and variably cloudy skies were forecast around St. Louis. The Weather Service station in Charleston, S.C., warned that a storm system near Florida “could interfere with our view of the eclipse.” — Phoebe Flanigan, Henry Fountain and Julie Turkewitz |
| Maybe you’ve traveled to the perfect place to watch the eclipse. But then the clouds roll in. Or you weren’t able to get away from your job and are stuck far away from the line of totality. | Maybe you’ve traveled to the perfect place to watch the eclipse. But then the clouds roll in. Or you weren’t able to get away from your job and are stuck far away from the line of totality. |
| All isn’t lost. There are plenty of places you can stream the eclipse online if you can’t see it with your own eyes — and you might even get a better view. | All isn’t lost. There are plenty of places you can stream the eclipse online if you can’t see it with your own eyes — and you might even get a better view. |
| NASA will stream the event live on a number of platforms, including its official Facebook, Periscope, Twitch and UStream pages, as well as on NASA TV and the official NASA YouTube channel. You can even download the official NASA apps for iPhone and Android. | NASA will stream the event live on a number of platforms, including its official Facebook, Periscope, Twitch and UStream pages, as well as on NASA TV and the official NASA YouTube channel. You can even download the official NASA apps for iPhone and Android. |
| The Exploratorium in San Francisco will stream the eclipse as well in English and Spanish. Similarly, the Smithsonian Institution offers the Smithsonian Eclipse 2017 app for iPhone and Android that’s full of useful information to read leading up to and through the event. | The Exploratorium in San Francisco will stream the eclipse as well in English and Spanish. Similarly, the Smithsonian Institution offers the Smithsonian Eclipse 2017 app for iPhone and Android that’s full of useful information to read leading up to and through the event. |
| Slooh, an internet-connected telescope service that partners with observatories around the world, will stream the eclipse live from a telescope in Stanley, Idaho, which is right in the path of totality. | Slooh, an internet-connected telescope service that partners with observatories around the world, will stream the eclipse live from a telescope in Stanley, Idaho, which is right in the path of totality. |
| CNN will air the eclipse live on TV, and also stream the event on its website. The Science Channel will stream the eclipse on its Facebook page. — Alan Henry | CNN will air the eclipse live on TV, and also stream the event on its website. The Science Channel will stream the eclipse on its Facebook page. — Alan Henry |