4 Surprising Facts About the Total Solar Eclipse

A total solar eclipse will stop millions of Americans in their tracks on Monday when it crosses the country from coast to coast, shrouding states in sudden darkness.
The rare celestial spectacle on Aug. 21 has a trajectory exclusive to the U.S. for the first time since the nation’s birth in 1776. It’s also the first total eclipse of the sun that will be visible from the contiguous U.S. since 1979.
As the once-in-a-lifetime event draws near, here are four things to know about the total solar eclipse:
You cannot race the 2017 total solar eclipse

Even the most dedicated eclipse chaser would not be able to keep up with the August eclipse as it makes its way across America. Someone would need to travel at roughly 2,400 mph to chase the moon’s shadow, according to Bill Kramer, a well-known expert in the eclipse chasing community. The upcoming eclipse first makes contact in Madras, Ore. at 9:06 a.m., PST reaching totality there at 10:19 a.m. Its path of totality ends near Columbia, S.C. at 2:44 p.m. EST, just about an hour and a half after the total eclipse began in Oregon. The total eclipse can be viewed widely in about 10 states, and totality typically lasts no longer than two minutes and 40 seconds.
Snake-like figures can emerge in the shadows
Mysterious shadowy figures that wriggle like snakes have been known to appear on surfaces near the ground seconds before and after a total solar eclipse. The shadow bands — sometimes called shadow snakes — are...

Source: TIME.com: Top Science and Health Stories - August 21, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Melissa Chan Tags: Uncategorized eclipse onetime space space 2017 Source Type: news