Preparing for the First TOTAL Solar Eclipse Since 1979
In just one week, a good swath of the continental United States will be able to view a solar eclipse. It’s been nearly forty-years since one has been visible from the North America, so what should you expect to experience?
FOX’s Eben Brown with the first installment of our special new feature “Path Of Totality: The Solar Eclipse”:
Seeing the moon completely block the sun usually only happens out in the middle of the ocean:
(Wright) “The last time that we had a total solar eclipse in the lower 48 of the U.S. was in 1979. And for any particular point on the earth, a solar eclipse will happen every 350 years.”
Ernie Wright tracks eclipses for NASA. He remembers the one in ’79 as being unique to behold:
(Wright) “You might see shadow bands traveling across the ground. This is just sort of light defracting around the last edge of the moon there. You’ll see something called the diamond ring, this is sort of the last piece of sunlight.”
It’ll resemble dusk, except for the pitch black straight up:
(Wright) “Animals will react to this darkness, too. Birds will go to roost and nocturnal animals may come out.”
And it’s over in minutes:
(Wright) “For some people it’s a spiritual kind of thing, and for others its just this recognition that we are part of this much larger solar system.”
I’m Eben Brown, FOX News.
