How to prepare for a once-in-a-lifetime total eclipse

Don't forget the approved eyewear.

by

An event of this astronomical sort—in which the moon passes between us and the sun, causing day to turn to night—hasn’t occurred in St. Louis since 1442, so it’s not surprising that the region is preparing for it with such exuberance: task forces, expos, T-shirts, traffic maps, Facebook pages… So just what will the total eclipse look like in St. Louis? It’ll be out of this world. 

Here are SLM's tips for enjoying the event. 

  • Twelve million people are in the path of this summer’s total eclipse, and 3.4 million of them are Missouri residents whose lunch hours on August 21 will most likely be spent outside, basking in the eerie twilight.  
  • This will be the first North America–only total eclipse since 1776. Everyone in the U.S. will experience the partial eclipse (in which only some of the sun is covered, casting a bit of a shadow), but just portions of 12 states between Oregon and South Carolina will experience total darkness.
  • In the St. Louis area, the partial eclipse will begin at 11:52 a.m. and end at 2:44 p.m. Some southwestern parts of St. Louis County (but not the city itself) will be within the area of the moon’s shadow (or the “path of totality,” meaning that they’ll see up to two minutes of complete darkness).
  • The centerline of the total eclipse has a peak visibility time of 2 minutes, 40 seconds. The shadow, 70 miles wide, will start in St. Joseph and run southeast toward Ste. Genevieve, passing over Columbia, Missouri, and Jefferson City before heading to De Soto and into Illinois.
  • Those experiencing total darkness might see streetlights coming on or birds heading back to their nests. Cicadas may start to chirp, stars and planets may become visible, and the temperature could drop by 10 degrees. 
  • Of the 12 states in which the total eclipse will be visible, Missouri ranks third in the estimated number of visitors: 1,290,000 on the high end and 322,000 on the low. 
  • Viewers must wear eye protection at any point of the eclipse during which the sun is not covered completely by the moon. If you’re experiencing it at a point of totality, however, and the sun’s corona is hidden, no eyewear is needed—but any sign of light demands protection.
  • Approved eyewear is typically made from black polymer and filters out ultraviolet and infrared light. It is recommended that you do not go DIY on this—and do not rely on sunglasses to protect you.
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