Total Eclipse August 21, 2017
Reasons why this eclipse will be the most viewed ever:
- The attention it will get from the media;
- The superb coverage of the highway system in our country;
- The typical weather on that date; and
- The vast number of people who will have access to it from nearby large cities. -Astronomy.com
2017 Path of Totality
To catch the excitement of this major celestial event, see the projected path of the shadow as it passes over Idaho https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4515.
Idaho 2017 Eclipse Community Planning White Paper
Check out http://commerce.idaho.gov/eclipse/. This site is a resource available to Idaho communities, businesses, locals, and tourists in preparation for the total solar eclipse on August 21, 2017.
It is NEVER safe to look at the sun during the eclipse. Except during the very short period of totality do not look directly at the sun without approved solar-viewing devices.
Be patient and don’t expect all services to be available. Many small towns within the path of the eclipse will have their infrastructure and community services stretched to the limit during the event. Be early and patient and expect traffic on state and rural roads. Don’t expect cell-phone reception as it is already spotty in rural areas and may be overtaxed by the high number of users.
From the Idaho Transportation Department:
The state’s typically sunny August weather means there is a good chance there will be few, if any, clouds in the sky when the eclipse occurs.
The point isn’t lost on eclipse chasers, who have booked up motels, campgrounds and even homes in the region to view the “totality.”
They also like the fact that Idaho is situated at a high altitude, closer to the sky than many parts of the country. Estimates are for tens and even hundreds of thousands of people to descend on Idaho — some projections put the migration at more than one million.
The event begins in the late morning of August. 21 in Weiser and ends in the early afternoon in Driggs. Other towns in the center of the path are Mackay, Mud Lake, Rigby, Rexburg and Victor. Area residents should buckle up.