Total Solar Eclipse Day for the USA

Today is August 21st and features a total solar eclipse passing over the United States during the early afternoon. This is a BIG THING, and is the first total solar eclipse where the totality is appearing only across the United States since the year of our nation's founding - 1776. I live in an area of 0.8-0.9 totality viewing, but we're also predicted to have cloud cover, so there may not be visibility for me at all. The next total solar eclipse for the US will be across the southern states in 2024, not quite as close. Want to see the totality at 100% occlusion? You'd need to be in Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, Missouri, Western Kentucky, Tennessee or South Carolina.

The full power of the eclipse won't be on display here
in the Frozen Northlands, but it's only an 8-10 hour drive
either west or southeast to get to prime viewing locations. 

Tours and buses and a variety of viewers left the Twin Cities for the west - usually Wyoming - and south - most often Missouri yesterday afternoon and evening. If the cloud cover forecasts are correct, Wyoming may be the better choice of the two closest locations, but there are never guarantees when it comes to weather.

How much shadow will the nation be under? Actually, quite a lot across
the contiguous 48 states. The eclipse cuts directly across the nation,
getting the maximum amount of coverage directly over us. It's quite cool. 

I am quite fond of maps, and if you're very fond of them too, you might want to check out the website GreatAmericanEclipse dot com for the awesome maps created by Michael Zeiler, a cartographer and total eclipse nerd. I didn't put in the direct link, but I'm sure you can figure this one out. All of the maps, except the very first one on my blog today, are from his website. NASA has a rather nice website as well, with specific pathways for each of the states affected by the pathway of the full totality. Those can be found at nasa.gov under the subheading of eclipse.

From my area, without traffic, a person would be looking at an eight-hour
drive to perfect viewing position. With traffic, it's probably closer to ten
hours on the road. A lot of schools and smaller groups were planning
to just make a long 24 hours trip from it - drive down overnight,
watch the eclipse, then turn around and head back home again. 

I will NOT be looking out at the eclipse today, I have to work. I suspect I won't have people in the store at that time, though. I know a lot of people who purchased special glasses to watch what they could, and if the clouds stay away or part at the right time, the streets, yards, and parks will be full of people looking up at the skies with wonder and amazement.

REMEMBER - You MUST protect your eyes if you want to look directly
at the eclipse. Also remember, keep your animals indoors. Their eyes can
also be affected if they happen to look up at the wrong time. 

The world isn't diving into the old superstitious beliefs of dragons eating the sun or the end of the earth (then again, maybe we have since we elected a ludicrous President a few months ago). I think it is nice to be reminded that there are things that are beyond our petty short-sighted abilities to influence and/or alter. I'm off to the pool, so have a wonderful eclipse-filled Monday and I'll be back tomorrow with a report on opening weekend at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival.