On Monday, August 21, a shadow will stretch across the United States from Oregon to South Carolina as the moon passes between the Earth and the sun for a few brief moments. It’s a big deal: It is the first total solar eclipse visible from the United States in nearly 40 years, and the first to cross the entire country in nearly a century.
According to astronomers and eclipse chasers, witnessing the eclipse from the path of totality—a 70-mile-wide band in which the moon will entirely obscure the sun—is a truly spectacular event. In Seattle, where we will see a 92 percent eclipse, the views will be good; in Central Oregon, the closest point of totality, the views—and the traffic jams—will be epic. The sky will darken, the air will cool, and for just about two minutes, you’ll be able to see the sun’s atmosphere from earth. An estimated 7.4 million Americans are predicted to make the pilgrimage to prime viewing spots to see it.
President Donald Trump, who likes to spend Mondays (and every other day) on the golf course, isn’t likely to be among those traveling to the show. He’ll probably be DMing David Duke from the 18th hole. But that doesn’t mean the show will miss him—at least, that is, if you believe in astrology.
