The Great American Eclipse

A total solar eclipse is an exciting, celestial phenomenon involving the most powerful force in our universe – the sun, seemingly being taken over by Earth’s relatively tiny moon. Space.com describes the experience of a total solar eclipse as “see(ing) the sun disappear(ing) behind the moon, turning daylight into twilight, causing the temperature to drop rapidly and revealing massive streamers of light streaking through the sky around the silhouette of the moon”.

A solar eclipse occurs when the path of the moon and the sun coincide perfectly for just a few moments, creating the illusion that the moon has “covered” the sun, leaving only a halo of light around the seemingly black moon. Total solar eclipses typically last from a few seconds up to two minutes, so it is important to be prepared and know when to watch the sky.

The August 2017 eclipse has been nicknamed “The Great American Eclipse” because its “Path of Totality” sweeps across the United States from Oregon to South Carolina and reaches no other country. A “Path of Totality” is a relatively narrow path (this time only a stretch of 70 miles) where an eclipse can be seen as total – with the moon completely covering the sun. This is the first time in American history that a total eclipse’s path of totality can be seen exclusively from inside the United States. The last time this happened in this area of the world was back in 1245, however, it’s safe to say that the United States was not yet a country back then! For a map of the “Path of Totality” and more information on the eclipse visit here.

Outside of the “Path of Totality” the eclipse can still be seen across the continental United States and parts of northern Mexico, however, it will only be partial. Partial eclipses look like the moon has taken a “bite” out of the sun, rather than eclipsing it totally.

It is a common misconception that total solar eclipses are, in and of themselves, rare occurrences. In actuality, total solar eclipses can be seen from somewhere on Earth once every 18 months. This doesn’t mean that eclipses aren’t extremely special! What makes total eclipses so exceptional is the fact that in any given location on Earth, an average of about 400 years passes between total eclipses in that location. While some places like Nova Scotia “only” need wait about 110 years between eclipses, others, such as Winnipeg will experience a whopping 1,377 years between total eclipses in their city! For those of us in Phoenix, we experienced our last total eclipse in 1806, and won’t see one again until 2205. A total of 399 years with “only” 188 left to go! For a more detailed description of the rarity of total eclipses or to see when a total eclipse will happen in your city visit here.

Unless someone discovers the fountain of youth very soon – most of us will need to travel outside of our city to experience a total eclipse in our lifetime! This is not the case for the lucky 225 million Americans who live within a day’s drive of the upcoming eclipse’s “Path of Totality” – or locations where the sun will be totally and completely eclipsed by the moon on August 21st.

Although we Phoenicians are not in the “Path of Totality” and will therefore be unable to see the total eclipse, we can still enjoy a partial one. For us, the moon will appear to be “taking a bite” out of the top left corner of the sun and this partial eclipse will last about 2 hours and 46 minutes – with the peak of the eclipse happening at 10:33 am on Monday, August 21st. There are many ways to celebrate the “Great American Eclipse” right here at home. The Arizona Science Center will be having a solar eclipse viewing party packed with family-friendly themed activities, as well as sun viewing glasses for the first 300 guests.

For more information on the eclipse from Arizona’s perspective and to watch an interactive video on what to expect, visit here.

From all of us at CC SUNscreens, we wish you happy and safe solar eclipse viewing!