On Monday, August 21, people in a cross-section of the country will witness a total solar eclipse. The total eclipse will span a path that goes across the entire continental United Sates, from Oregon to South Carolina. The sun will be completely obscured by the moon in a 70-mile wide shadow called the umbra. People in 14 states will experience more than two minutes of darkness in the middle of the day. The temperature will drop and stars will appear.
Here in Utah, which is outside of the shadow, a partial eclipse will be seen. In Salt Lake City, which is right on the edge of the umbra, the sun will be 91 percent obscured. In Carbon County, the eclipse will begin at about 10:15 a.m. and peak at 11:36 a.m. when the sun will be 87.3 percent obscured.
Experts caution the partial eclipse should not be viewed without proper eye protection. A person whose eyes are damaged from viewing a solar eclipse without eye protection may not notice any symptoms for days. Symptoms are similar to that of macular degeneration and may result in the loss of ability to read small print and even to recognize faces.
The American Astronomical Society has compiled a list of reputable manufacturers and authorized retail dealers of solar filters and viewers verified to be compliant with international safety standards.
Walmart and Maverik are listed among the retailers where eclipse gazers can confidently purchase solar viewers, although that may not be the case for online purchases because some chains use different suppliers for their websites than they do for their stores.
But a spokesperson at the Walmart store in Price said Tuesday they were completely sold out of the viewers and had no plans to restock. Maverik Regional Manager Mark Yoshimoto confirmed last week that the Maverik stores in the area have a limited number of the eclipse viewers in stock for $1.99 each.
The National Weather Service predicts skies will be partly cloudy on Monday.
View the partial eclipse here
Eclipse Source: Scientific Visualization Studio, nasa