What
is a total solar eclipse?
A
total solar eclipse occurs when the disk of the moon appears to
completely cover the disk of the sun in the sky. Outside the path of
totality, the continental U.S. and other nearby areas will see a
partial eclipse,
in which the moon appears to take a bite out of the sun's disk. Two
to five solar eclipses occur each year on average, but total solar
eclipses happen just once every 18 months or so.
What
will I see during a total solar eclipse?
During
a total solar eclipse, the disk of the moon blocks out the last
sliver of light from the sun, and the sun's outer atmosphere, the corona,
becomes visible. Through the time of totality, the area inside the
moon's shadow is cloaked in twilight — a very strange feeling to
experience in the middle of the day. Just before and just after
totality, observers can see this cloak of darkness moving toward them
across the landscape, and then moving away.
Where
will the total solar eclipse be visible?
The
path of totality for the Aug. 21, 2017, total solar eclipse is about
70 miles wide and stretches from Oregon to South Carolina. It passes
through Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois,
Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.
