In 585 B.C.E., a solar eclipse marked the end of a bitter six-year war between two rival Greek factions when, in the middle of a battle, an eclipse occurred. The tribes saw it as an "omen" warning them to stop fighting.
Some 2,400 years later, Nat Turner took a solar eclipse as a sign that it was time to start planning what ultimately became "the bloodiest slave revolt in U.S. history," according to history.com.
“So it has started violence as much as it has ended it,” said Howard Hochhalter, planetarium manager at the South Florida Museum's Bishop Planetarium. “The common theme is that it can have a dramatic impact on people, the observers.”
Of course, those historic events associated with eclipses were precipitated by people who probably lacked the right tools to accurately predict such a rare celestial event. Yet the event, associated with historic cataclysms or not, is expected to captivate the nation. That's because, unlike other solar eclipses, people in the U.S. will be able to see it from coast to coast — in limited capacity in places like the Tampa Bay area and in totality from the coast of Oregon to Charleston, South Carolina.
“This, for us, for most Americans, involves just hopping on an interstate that will take you to the path of totality anywhere across the continental United States.” Hochhalter said. “Most of us know somebody or family or have friends somewhere along the path of totality, and you can see an event that I'd like to characterize as, 'is known to stop wars and start wars.'”
It's the first time since 1918 a total solar eclipse will be visible in all 48 contiguous states. Since then, there have been 13 total solar eclipses visible only in some parts of North America. One in 1972, visible only in Nova Scotia, may have inspired some of the lyrics to Carly Simon's "You're so Vain." The "Victory Eclipse" happened on July 7, 1945, but was only visible in parts of Montana and Idaho. One in 1990 "only touched four small islands in the Aleutians," and it was cloudy, so no one could see it, according to eclipse2017.org.
That the orbits of the earth and moon put the path of totality essentially across the width of the continental U.S. is indeed rare — and it's happening at a strange time in the nation's history.
At about 2:49 p.m. on Monday, the moon will fully block the sun in areas along the path of totality, and only a sliver of sun will be visible in places like Florida, where the moon will be seen as partially blocking the sun.
“Assuming it's clear, you'll be able to see the disc of the moon move in front of the sun, block out most of its light," He sad. "What we'll get [in Florida] will look like a very thin fingernail clipping looking like a tiny sliver of a smily mouth. About 83 to 85 percent of the sun will be blocked. Wearing the proper solar protection over your eyes, you'll be able to look directly at its process and watch the transformation of the moon moving in front of the sun and leaving a little sliver of visible [sunlight].”
While the eclipse is appearing at a time of nearly unprecedented political polarization and perhaps some zealots might see it as a sign or something, tourism officials in places along the path of totality are more concerned about the swarms of visitors that are coming.
For Tampa Bay area residents not satisfied with 80-percent totality, South Carolina is a six to nine-hour drive, depending on where you're headed.
Michael Bagby — who is perhaps best known as KTUF, the handle he goes by on his Saturday program on WMNF, the 70s Show — is making the drive with his son. Bagby is so stoked about the August 21 event that his August 19 edition of the show will consist of songs about eclipses as well as the entirety of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon.
"Anyone who has heard or read eclipse experiences knows that it is an unforgettable experience," he told CL via Facebook Messenger. "People totally forget they live on a planet with an orbiting moon spinning around a sun hurtling around a galaxy which is unendingly speeding to points unknown. A total eclipse reminds us."
He said he had decent luck finding a hotel room just outside the path of totality and about 40 minutes from where the total eclipse will be visible for the largest duration. Those still trying to make travel arrangements a few days in advance may not be so lucky.
In the Palmetto State, hotels within the path of totality have been booked solid; some eclipse chasers booked theirs years in advance.
Kim Jamieson, public relations manager for the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism, said there are no rooms left in Charleston (though a quick browsing on airbnb.com a week before the eclipse showed several available rentals, which ranged from $50 to over $1,000 Jamieson said some state parks near the path of totality have a few unreserved campsite (and that state parks are selling glasses with which visitors can safely view the eclipse). Those driving up may want to keep in mind there will be traffic.
“We have seen people booking hotel rooms from all across the US and Canada, with some re coming from as far away as France and Germany,” she said. “I'm over the moon — pun intended.”
Bagby, a teacher, said last time there was a visible eclipse, in 1994 (it was an annular eclipse, which means the moon did not fully block the sun as it will on Monday), the schools forbade teachers from taking their students outside for fear of the potentially blinding effects of staring at the sun for too long (which eclipse watchers avoid by purchasing special glasses like the ones on sale at South Carolina state parks). That's part of the reason he is so determined to see Monday's.
Whether one travels or not, South Florida Museum's Howard Hochhalter said eclipse enthusiasts should keep an eye on the weather and be ready to drive to a place with better visibility — especially in Florida.
“Florida only likes to do one thing in the afternoon,” he said. “And so when you're talking about a celestial event occurring in the sky, it requires the curtain to be open first. And unfortunately for us, Florida has a propensity for clouding up the sky. So I would tell Floridians to expect cloudy weather."
CL news and politics editor Kate Bradshaw will be up in Mt. Pleasant, SC for the eclipse and plans on streaming video of the event at facebook.com/cltampabay.
This article appears in Aug 10-17, 2017.