The whole country will experience a solar eclipse next week.  The event will take place at 1:13 p.m. our time on Monday August 21st.  

While we won't experience a total eclipse, the moon will cover nearly 90% of the sun turning daytime into night.  There are several things you should do and several things you shouldn't do during a solar eclipse.

Let's start with the do's

1.   Take notice of  your surroundings.  The temperature will plummet; nocturnal animals may emerge; street lamps light up; birds fall silent. Take it all in.  It won't happen again till 2045.

2. Stop viewing the Sun through binoculars/telescopes before totality ends. Looking at direct Sun for even a split second through binoculars/telescopes can blind you forever.

3.  Check you local forecast.  If the forecast in your area calls for cloudy skies, you may have to go somewhere else to truly experience the solar eclipse

DON'TS for experiencing the solar eclipse.

1.  Don't use Do It Yourself Solar Filters. Using a colored bottle or glass to view the eclipse is dangerous.  So is looking thru a glass filled with tea or coffee.

2.  Don't use solar sunglasses to look at the eclipse through binoculars. NASA says the concentrated solar rays will damage the filter and enter your eyes, causing serious injury,

3.  Don't focus all your energy on taking photos.  Plenty of professional photographers with professional equipment will document the solar eclipse.  Instead just take in all of your surroundings.

For more on the solar eclipse CLICK HERE

For more DON"Ts during the solar eclipse CLICK HERE

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