Daylight Will Fade

On Monday, August 21, 2017, all of the continental U.S. will experience an eclipse of the sun for the first time in 99 years. A total solar eclipse will be visible within a path 70 miles wide that stretches across 14 states from Oregon to South Carolina.

In the area of the path of the total solar eclipse, daylight will fade like dusk, go to darkness and then have a dawn-like experience in the middle of the day. People in the path of total eclipse will have approximately 2 minutes and 30 seconds when the moon will completely block the sun, and they will be able to see the details of the sun’s atmosphere, or corona.

In North Carolina a total solar eclipse will be visible over a small portion of western North Carolina beginning at 2:33 p.m. Counties in the path of totality include Cherokee, Graham, Swain, Clay, Macon, Jackson and Transylvania.Almost everywhere else in North Carolina will experience a partial eclipse of 90 percent totality or more. Story courtesy NC DOT. Photo by John Payne