First time in 99 years: US total solar eclipse on 21 August excites scientists
by Associated Press from on (#2YG53)
Entire US will fall into shadow as eclipse passes, with darkest path, or 'totality', contained in 70-mile (113km) ribbon from Oregon to South Carolina
The sun, moon and Earth will line up perfectly in the cosmos on 21 August, turning day into night for a few wondrous minutes, its path crossing the US from sea to shining sea for the first time in nearly a century.
Never will a total solar eclipse be so heavily viewed and studied or celebrated.
"We're going to be looking at this event with unprecedented eyes," promises Alex Young, a solar physicist who is coordinating Nasa's education and public outreach.