The Great American Eclipse Viewing

The Great American Eclipse and Where to View:

August 21st, 2017 will be the first time since 1776 that a solar eclipse has spanned across the entirety of the United States, earning it the name of the “Great American Eclipse”. For most of the US, a partial eclipse will be visible (meaning only a part of the sun will be covered visually), but for those within the moon’s orbit, a full eclipse will be visible starting in Oregon around 1:15 EST, and ending around South Carolina between 2:30-3pm.

Along with this event where people will be looking towards the sky, those of you looking towards the water will notice something a little different too regarding the heights in the tide. With this eclipse, the United States will also witness a Perigean Spring Tide (King Tide), in which the new moon will be its closest to Earth aligning with both our planet and the sun. This close proximity and alignment will add an extra gravitational pull on the earth’s oceans, creating slightly more of bulge on the Earth’s atmosphere. The effects of the King Tide will be seen at their strongest between August 20-21st.

For those curious and wanting to see the view, a full assortment of eclipse maps from NASA can be viewed hereÂ to find somewhere to view in person (although hopefully you already have a spot picked out). Be sure wear the proper equipment when viewing the sun so that you do not cause yourself permanent eye damage. Staring at the sun with improper or no equipment can cause loss of vision, scarring of the retina, or even complete blindness. Proper equipment includes: