The moon’s 73-mile-wide shadow will travel at up to 1,200 m.p.h.

The odds of witnessing a total solar eclipse precisely where they live are approximately three times every 1,000 years.

There will be two more total solar eclipses to touch Illinois in the next 50 years, on Apand October 17, 2153.

It has been 99 years since the last total eclipse to go coast-to-coast across the United States.

The last time this much sun was blocked in Illinois was in August of 1869!.

In Chicago, 87% of all sunlight will be blocked at 1:19 pm on August 21.

In addition, eclipses often take their path of darkness over the world’s oceans since our planet is mostly water. For example, India or Cambodia might experience a wonderful eclipse that we would never experience in the U.S. While solar eclipses happen a few times every year, the path of totality, or total darkness, spreads over less than 1% of the Earth’s surface and only occurs for a few minutes. The darkness that results is a rare occurrence, especially in the Chicagoland area.

A solar eclipse occurs when the moon gets directly in between the Earth and the sun, blocking the sun’s rays.

On Augyou will have a once-in-a lifetime opportunity to view a powerful solar eclipse.

How to use eclipse veiwing box