Millions are skywatchers are getting ready for tonight's solar eclipse. It starts in Oregon at about 1:15pm ET and will move eastward along a 70-mile-wide path across Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska and the northeast corner of Kansas. It will then darken skies over Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky and Nashville, Tennessee before passing over Georgia and the Carolinas on its way toward the Atlantic Ocean. The eclipse will be visible for under three minutes at each viewing location.
The U.S. hasn't had a total eclipse like this since 1979. According to astronomers, the next one won't happen until April 2024. As for the best spot for eclipse viewing? The epicenter will be close to Carbondale, Illinois. And that's precisely why the college town’s normal population of 26,000 is expected to explode by the tens of thousands today.
- Looking to watch, but you haven't been able to get those glasses? No worries. You can view the eclipse by making a pinhole camera with your fist. On top of that, NASA has posted instructions for making a projector out of a simple cereal box.
Source: New York Times