Funke gives insight, advice for viewing rare upcoming solar eclipse.
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A total solar eclipse is a rare event to begin with, but one that people can see in their own area is very special.
In fact, it happens about once every 375 years.
Luckily, the next one will be on Aug. 21, and people in Illinois will be able to view it. While the eclipse will be total in southern Illinois – meaning the moon will completely block out the sun – in our area the coverage will be about 86.9 percent, explained Vicki Funke, manager of the J. Weiskopf Observatory and an amateur astronomer.
“For us, this is the big one for our lifetime,” she said of the eclipse.
A total solar eclipse is when the sun, moon and Earth align, which means the moon blocks the sun from view. But not for long: In Carbondale, where the eclipse will be total, the full coverage will last about 2 minutes and 40 seconds, Funke said. The entire event will last about four hours.