On Monday August 21, millions of Americans will eagerly watch as the moon moves across the sun, creating a solar eclipse. And while everyone in the United States will be able to see it in some form, only those in a 60-70 mile wide path that spans from Oregon to South Carolina will be able to view a total eclipse, when the moon completely blocks out the sun. If you don\u2019t live within the area known as the \u201ctotality\u201d and haven\u2019t made travel plans you\u2019re pretty much out of luck. Travel accommodations and specialty tours to most of the prime locations were sold out months ago.<\/p>\n
So why is there so much hype and excitement for something that only lasts a couple of minutes? According to Dr. Douglas Duncan<\/a>, the director of the Fiske Planetarium<\/a> at the University of Colorado in Boulder (who gave us the inside scoop on the appeal of eclipses), it\u2019s all about the apocalyptic awe.<\/p>\n \u201cIt looks like the end of the world,\u201d Dr. Duncan says, \u201cPeople cry, scream, and cheer. Lunar eclipses \u2014 they are pretty, but no big deal. Take away the moon and we\u2019d miss it. But take away the sun and we\u2019d all die. And during a total eclipse, you instinctively feel that. It\u2019s like coming near a lion on a safari and the lion roars. You NEVER forget it.\u201d<\/p>\n The experience can be so powerful that Dr. Duncan claims a significant number\u00a0of people who see a total solar eclipse are compelled to see it again, no matter where they have to go.\u00a0\u201c[They] fall in love so much that they travel the world to see another,\u201d he says. <\/span><\/p>\n So if you\u2019re a total eclipse lover (or want to be), who won\u2019t be able to see this year\u2019s solar spectacle AND can\u2019t wait until the next total solar eclipse crosses over the United States and Canada (April 8, 2024) — eclipse tourism might be the answer.<\/p>\n\n