People all over the United States are reported to witness the rare total solar eclipse once again this year amid the years that had passed since it was seen. The total solar eclipse that will be seen by American citizens this year is said to be known as “The Great American Solar Eclipse.”
According to Space, the total solar eclipse would start in Aug. 21, 2017 9 a.m. PDT. The moon is said to cover the sun in a total duration of 2 minutes up to 2 minutes and 41 seconds. The path of totality of “The Great American Solar Eclipse” is said to trace a path starting from Oregon ending in South Carolina as it reaches the Atlantic Ocean.
With that said, residents from Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, and North Carolina are also in for an unforgettable experience. However, it was mentioned that residents from Canada will only witness “The Great American Solar Eclipse” as a partial eclipse instead, which the moon would only cover less percentage of the sun.
Furthermore, it is strongly advised for those who want to witness “The Great American Solar Eclipse” that people should not directly look at the total solar eclipse. Wearing of solar viewing glasses or eclipse glasses was then said to be used. As some of the eclipse glasses are expensive, prices aren’t given focused but the more important case is that the glasses that the people would wear should have Mylar filters as The Weather Network reported.
Devices for capturing the total solar eclipse such as cameras, telescopes, and binoculars were also advised to be placed with Mylar filters as well since the sun’s radiations may damage unprotected equipment as well. Wearing normal sunglasses was also strictly forbidden when witnessing “The Great American Solar Eclipse.”
However, it was identified that people viewing exactly from the path of totality could take off their equipment in the 2 minutes, which is ONLY when the moon is completely covering the sun. Taking off protective equipment is said to not be attempted in any cases in “The Great American Solar Eclipse” aside from the aforementioned 2 minutes. Normal precautions when being out in the sun like sunblock, head protection and staying hydrated is also advised.