In the dark about the upcoming solar eclipse everyone is talking about? Here’s a few facts. A total solar eclipse, caused by the moon passing in front of the sun, will cross the United States on August 21 beginning on the Oregon coast around 11:20 in the morning Montana time. The path in which the eclipse will be total will be about 60-70 miles wide and pass over south-central Idaho; the middle of Wyoming, including Casper; from northwest to southeast Nebraska, including Lincoln; across the top third of Missouri, including St. Louis; barely across the southern tip of Illinois and the western tip of Kentucky; across Nashville, Tennessee; and across South Carolina, leaving the states near Charleston around 12:50 p.m. Montana time.
The longest sustained period of total eclipse will be visible in Missouri to Nashville, where the sun will be covered for about two minutes and 40 seconds. Although varying degrees of the eclipse will be visible all across the continental U.S., the total eclipse in which the moon completely blocks the sun will only be on that path. For Montana, the eclipse will be about 85-95 percent complete, with the higher percentage closer to the path of the total eclipse. According to USA Today, this will be the first total eclipse to cross the nation from Pacific to Atlantic coasts since June 8, 1918. It is also the first solar eclipse visible in the lower 48 states since 1979, says USA Today. To learn more, visit GreatAmericanEclipse.com.
