Total Solar Eclipse

TOTALLY TOTAL:
A Once-in-a-Lifetime Experience

by Astronomer Bill

Well I hear you went to Saratoga
And your horse naturally won
Then you flew your Learjet up to Nova Scotia
To see the total eclipse of the Sun
   - Carly Simon, 1972

I had just graduated high school, heading toward a career in astronomy, when I heard Carly Simon's song that validates how difficult and expensive it is to catch a total eclipse of the Sun. The song refers to the March 1970 total solar eclipse in Nova Scotia. Since then there have been a number of total eclipses in remote sections of the oceans, diseased-infested jungles, Antarctica, and many dangerous unstable countries.

Even as a young man I realized that witnessing a total eclipse would be an ordeal possible only for the idle rich. Not so for the Great American Eclipse of 2017.

On August 21st, 2017 the Moon's shadow will completely cover the Sun coast-to-coast from Oregon to South Carolina.

If you live in the right part of Kansas City, St. Louis, Nashville, or Charleston, you won't even have to leave your house. For the rest of the us, the path of totality is an easy trip by car or air.

Make your plans soon because accomodations along the path of totality are selling for $10K a night, flights are likewise going up in price and will soon be booked up, and campground reservations are disappearing fast.

If you're confused about where to go and how to get there, you could use some personalized eclipse planning consultation by our experienced solar eclipse trip advisor, which happens to be me. I've helped dozens of eclipse travelers plan their eclipse adventure with useful advice and practical strategies. Learn more about the eclipse trip advisor.

Information on this page is being updated regularly, so bookmark it and come back by.

Be a good friend and tell everyone you know about this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Text or email them a link to this page so they can plan wisely.

If you educate yourself about the eclipse with the information on this site, you can be confident that if you travel to the path of totality, you will not be disappointed.

Significance of a Total Eclipse of the Sun

Remarkably, the size of the Moon exactly covers the Sun during a solar eclipse.

Sometimes the orbital distances are such that we have what's called an annular eclipse, which means the Moon is too small to cover the Sun. Although interesting, these solar eclipses are not total eclipses.

The August 21, 2017 eclipse is a full total eclipse with over two minutes of totality at the center-line. The center-line is the center of the Moon's shadow on the Earth where the observer on Earth will see the Sun completely covered by the Moon for the longest period of time. Having more time means you will be able to enjoy and appreciate the features of a total eclipse more fully.

During a total solar eclipse, the day turns eerily dark.

During a total eclipse, the day turns dark

As the Moon completely covers the Sun, the Moon's shadow plunges the observer in darkness. The planets Mercury and Venus, which orbit close to the Sun but are blotted out by sunlight, instantly become visible. Stars and constellations near the Sun pop out since the magnitude or brightness of the covered Sun is less than Venus at night. During those two minutes of totality, you can look directly at the Sun without harming your eyes.

As the Sun approaches total totality, you may be able to see the Moon's shadow racing towards you across the landscape at over 1,600 miles per hour. After totality, you may be able to see the Moon's shadow leaving, heading East with equal speed.

5 Things the Media Never Tells You About a Total Eclipse

1. BRING YOUR SUNBLOCK AND EYEWARE.
   
   If you're out watching the full spectrum of phases of an eclipse in Spring, Summer, or Fall, you're going to get a really bad sunburn. Don't forget to bring sunblock along with your protective eclipse eyeware.
   
   
   
2. SET A TIMER SO YOU DON'T GET BLINDED.
   
   You do not need any eye protection while a solar eclipse is total, but bring a timer and set it for your local totality time when the sky goes dark to alert you when to put your eclipse glasses back on when the Sun starts to come out.
   
   Exactly how long will total totality last where you are? This precision eclipse map will give you the length of time down to the second.
   
   
   
3. TAKE MEMORABLE PICS.
   
   Do not bother taking pictures of the total eclipse! Tens of thousands of professionals, from National Geographic to Nature to the BBC, will be taking marvelous photos and HD video of the event. You'll miss the whole thing fooling around with your camera, tripod, etc.
   
   Snap a quick pic with your phone if you must, but I would be taking pictures of the crowds who stare in awe, the landscape turned dark, or other personal experiences. You've got a possible maximum of over two minutes of totality, so sit in a comfortable chair with your neck supported and watch the mystery of perfect cosmic alignment unfold before your very eyes!
   
   
   


© Ben Schumin
Expect heavy traffic,
especially near large cities.

4. ARRIVE A DAY EARLY.
   
   If you're planning on driving to the eclipse path on the day of the eclipse, remember there may be millions of other people trying to do the same thing, blocking the interstates like a hurricane evacuation.
   
   Check out this eclipse road map to see routes to the path of totality and approximate crowd sizes.
   
   It’s best to be there a day early, and if it’s too expensive to stay overnight in the path of totality, find a cheaper room nearby and have at least one or two alternate routes.
   
   Hotel rates will be closer to normal even one hour away from the path of totality.
   
   
   
5. WHAT ABOUT CLOUDY WEATHER?
   
   
   

   enlarge© Chosovi

   You still need a clear sky to see the eclipse during the day. The best chance of clear weather will be in Wyoming in late August.
   
   If the weather looks threatening, remember that
   • if you run around looking for clearer skies, you might accidentally drive out of the totality zone, so pay attention to where you are
   • it might clear up when the eclipse is total, since the temperature will suddenly drop significantly. (It might also get suddenly cloudy.)

Precision Map of the Eclipse Path

Map of the 2017 eclipse path. The blue line shows the path of total totality.



access the eclipse map

To help you see exactly where the eclipse is total and where it is not, Xavier M. Jubier programmed an accurate and impressively detailed Google map with exact GPS locations and precise times of all phases of the eclipse.


Notes and instructions on the eclipse map:

• After the program boots up, use your zoom function to zoom into the eclipse path.
• Note that there is a blue line in the middle of the shaded area. The blue line is the center-line of longest totality. As you move North or South of the blue line, the totality is shorter.
• The pink colored lines that border the shaded area is where totality ends and you will see a partial eclipse.
• As you move your cursor, in the upper left hand corner, you will see exact terrestrial GPS coordinates.
• Left-click on any location, and you will have complete information about the eclipse at that exact spot including start and stop times of totality. 
• Click on the blue Help link in the upper right hand corner of any pop-up for more information about all the great things this program can do for you.
  
  

access the eclipse map