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Everything You Need to Know About Monday's Total Solar Eclipse

It's the first in 99 years.

Everything You Need to Know About Monday's Total Solar Eclipse
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Whether people you know are traveling to see it or you've been seeing horoscopes based on it, chances are that by now, you know there's going to be a solar eclipse on Monday. But what exactly does that mean, and makes this one so special? Here are a few things to know if you're looking to catch the upcoming solar eclipse.

1. A solar eclipse happens when the moon blocks our view of the sun. When this occurs, you can see the moon's shadow on the Earth.

2. But this one is a total solar eclipse. That means the sun, moon, and Earth are completely lined up. Even if it's broad daylight, this'll make the sky look totally dark.

3. Americans haven't seen a total solar eclipse in 99 years. The last one was on June 8, 1918. That's one reason people are calling this the "The Great American Eclipse." If you miss this one, though, you won't have to wait that long again: There'll be another one in seven years.

4. You need to be in the "path of totality" to see a total solar eclipse. That's where the moon's shadow will be passing. The eclipse we're about to see runs from Oregon to South Carolina from 1:16 p.m-2:44 p.m. EST and and will be visible in 14 states. But you can still see a partial eclipse (that is, see the moon partially block the sun) elsewhere, so type in your city here to find out what you'll be able to catch and when.

5. You shouldn't look straight at the eclipse with your eyes unprotected. If you're going to look through a telescope or binoculars, they need to have special filters in place. Otherwise, you can create a cereal box theater, make a pinhole projector, view the sun's rays projected onto a wall or the ground using your fingers or a kitchen utensil with holes, or just stand under a tree and look at the ground to see the sun, according to The Washington Post. You can also buy special glasses to view the eclipse, but beware: some glasses sold for this purpose are fake, and others aren't totally effective, The Washington Post reports. You can test a pair by looking at your smartphone's LED light. You should only see the little circles — anything else is a warning sign.

6. Seriously, though, protect your eyes. The brightness of the sun is powerful enough to burn holes in your eyes that could permanently damage your vision. "The light from the sun is very intense and concentrated into a very small area, and then that light is converted into heat and that heat cooks the retina," Joel Schuman, chair of ophthalmology at NYU Langone Health, told Vox. "So you have a permanent area that you don’t see, a permanent blind spot." This type of injury doesn't heal, so approach your solar eclipse viewing with the utmost caution.

Related: Total Solar Eclipse Horoscope

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