MEMPHIS, Tenn. — On Aug. 21, the moon will darken the sun for about 2 minutes at mid-day, in the first total solar eclipse visible in the U.S. since 1979.
For sky watchers around Memphis, the eclipse will cover about 95 percent of the sun, though it will be more total near Nashville and Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
WREG’s resident science expert Austen Onek says viewers should expect to see the daylight take on a smoky, twilight effect during the eclipse. Temperatures will drop slightly.
“There’s just not gonna be that much daylight out there,” Austen says.
But that doesn’t mean people should look directly up at the sun or put on sunglasses. Special glasses, filters or a pinhole viewer are required.
Austen explains more about what you’ll see on Aug. 21 in this video above. A map of the eclipse’s path is below.
