NASA prepared Americans for the upcoming total solar eclipse with a series of webcasts on the first day of summer.
The space agency broadcasted two webinars on Wednesday: one about traffic and logistics around driving to sites across the United States that will experience the total solar eclipse, and another that shared the science behind the phenomenon.
The eclipse will occur Aug. 21. Locations in 14 states are in the direct path of it, meaning people there will see a total eclipse. All other locations will experience a partial eclipse.
On the day of the eclipse, NASA will broadcast several live feeds showing the event from cameras on the ground and in space, including at the International Space Station, in spacecraft, and in high-altitude balloons.
"Never before will a celestial event be viewed by so many and explored from so many vantage points — from space, from the air, and from the ground," NASA official Thomas Zurbuchen said. "With our fellow agencies and a host of scientific organizations, NASA will continue to amplify one key message: Take time to experience the Aug. 21 eclipse, but experience it safely."
According to Space.com, the Great American Eclipse will be the first total solar eclipse to be visible in the U.S. since 1979. The last total solar eclipse to cross the entire country occurred in 1918.
Scientists stress the importance of wearing special eclipse glasses while viewing the occurrence, because staring directly at the sun can cause blindness. In locations that are in the 70-mile-wide direct path of totality, however, it is OK — recommended, in fact — to look at the blacked out sun when it's fully hidden.
"It is perfectly safe to view the totally eclipsed sun without any filters," the American Astronomical Society's Rick Fienberg told Space.com. "In fact, if you leave your filters on, you won't see anything at all during totality."
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