The daytime sky is about to switch off for a moment. The temperature will drop suddenly (but pleasantly). A few stars may even be visible in the middle of the day.

If you haven’t already heard the amazing news, Nebraskans get front row seats to a spectacle of such rare magnitude, it won’t reoccur like this in the heartland for another 700 years.

The August 21 total eclipse of the Sun—caused by the moon blocking it not partially, but perfectly—will create an enormous shadow that will migrate southeast across Nebraska but not in Omaha, where we will get a maximum of about 97% blockage of the sun. The path then continues toward South Carolina and beyond. Truly an unmissable, once-in-a-lifetime event.

The eclipse will begin its overture at 11:30 a.m. CST with the moon starting to “touch” the Sun, then completely blocking it at 1 p.m. CST. This phase, known as totality, will be the most gorgeous part—the main movement of the symphony.

As your friendly local ophthalmologist, we’d like to remind you that sunglasses don’t qualify as eye protection to watch an eclipse. To help you view the event safely, we’re giving away free viewing glasses between now and August 21. You can pick them up at either of our offices in Omaha—then pick a favorite spot with a nice clearing to best view the eclipse.

And if you’re feeling more social, you can research viewing parties that are happening all across Nebraska, as well as spots in Omaha such as Flagship Commons, where attendees can also access free viewing glasses to better see this natural wonder.

So grab a seat, grab friends and family, and above all, go enjoy the shade!

More about the eclipse:
https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/eclipse-who-what-where-when-and-how https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/ne.jpg

More safety guidelines:
http://www.asrs.org/patients/retinal-diseases/special-safety-edition-2017-great-american-eclipse