ST. LOUIS, Mo. — On Monday, August 21, the United States will experience a Total Solar Eclipse, the first one to cross the entire country in 99 years.
While everyone in North America will have opportunity to see a partial eclipse, the path of the total eclipse will only cross through the U.S., giving the event the name the “Great American Eclipse”.
Does your house, work, or school fall in the path of the total eclipse? How long will you be in the moon’s shadow? Will you only be able to see a partial eclipse? NASA has an interactive Total Solar Eclipse map where you can zoom in and get detailed eclipse information for any location.
A Total Solar Eclipse is when the moon passes between the sun and the earth, blocking the sun from view as casting a shadow on the Earth. If you’re in the dark part of that shadow, you’ll see a total eclipse.
The eclipse will start at approximately 11:35am on August 21. If you are in a spot where you can see it, the total eclipse will last between one and three minutes depending on your location. The partial eclipse will continue until approximately 2:30pm.