A truly awesome natural event

Imagine a natural event that you look around and see a twilight- colored sky with an orange glow on the horizon in every direction- like a 360-degree sunset. A few bright stars are visible- and this is during the day! The air has a strange calmness to it- unlike anything you've ever felt before. But dominating the scene is a black hole in the sky, surrounded by a stunningly beautiful, pearl-colored glow that has fine lines, loops, and details that no artist could ever recreate. You and people around you are transfixed at what is happening. Are you on another planet? No, you're experiencing a total eclipse of the Sun right here on Earth- arguably the most incredible natural event that humans can experience. On August 21, 2017, people in parts of the United States have the opportunity to witness this stunning celestial spectacle.

Welcome to my blog dedicated to the total eclipse of the Sun on August 21, 2017! Thank you for visiting!

Many people have seen a partial eclipse of the Sun- or know someone who has. Indeed, this eclipse can be seen as a partial eclipse over all of North and Central America, parts of South America, and Europe. However, the scene described above can only be seen in the approximately 70-mile-wide path shown on the map below:

http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEgoogle/SEgoogle2001/SE2017Aug21Tgoogle.html 

(The path of totality is the space between the blue lines. Map courtesy of NASA)

 It's my goal here to help you learn more about this eclipse, and to try to convince you to consider going to see it from the path of totality. I saw one near Munich in August 1999. I can't express to you enough how STUNNING of an experience a total eclipse of the sun is. Here are some topics that will be covered:

-Why is it so important to travel to the path of totality? Can't we just stay home and watch the partial eclipse?
-Why am I announcing this so early?
-How have other people reacted to seeing a total solar eclipse?
-What are some other good sources for information?
-How can we view the eclipse safely?
-How do we choose which region to visit?
-How do we choose an eclipse viewing location?

and more. 

Many of you reading this may not have an interest in astronomy or eclipses. But a total eclipse of the Sun is such a glorious, amazing event that everyone should see one in their lifetimes. Total solar eclipses do take place every 1.5 to 2 years- somewhere in the world. But since the path of totality at each eclipse is so narrow, traveling to see one usually requires traveling thousands of miles, at considerable expense. This one is easily accessible for millions of people.
  
Remember, the eclipse only takes place for a few hours. This is actually an opportunity for you to plan a great vacation- including sightseeing, eating great food, meeting people, and more- and include an unforgettable natural event.

I have been a member of an eclipse chasers' discussion group for over 15 years now. Many of the world's top total Solar eclipse chasers are members. I have learned so much from them. I plan to share that knowledge with all of you.

Thank you for reading this, and thank you for following this blog. As the saying goes- watch this space! 

Contact information: 
eclipseaugust2017@gmail.com (for private messages) or comment on this blog if you're ok with others seeing the message. I'll be creating a facebook page about the eclipse as well. Wishing all of you the best!