The 'Great American Eclipse' is approaching on August 21

The country is preparing for an astronomical moment that hasn’t happened in 99 years, and southeast Alaska will witness about 60 percent of it.

For the first time since 1918, a total solar eclipse will cut through the United States on Mon., August 21. A 70-mile wide totality line will move through the country, starting at Oregon and ending in South Carolina. People within that line will see the moon pass between the sun and earth completely, causing a brief period of daytime darkness, said Rick Braun, a land surveyor and Petersburg resident who is in Oregon to watch the total eclipse.

“It is the Great American Eclipse,” Braun said.

“The totality line goes right across the lower-48 United States, but the shadow will be across all of America.”

Those who live outside the line of totality like Alaskans will see a partial solar eclipse. In Petersburg and Wrangell, the moon will block about 60 percent of sunlight, causing a period of abrupt darkness if the day isn’t too cloudy, said Rick Braun, who is in Oregon to watch the total eclipse.

“If it’s a clear day in Petersburg,” Braun said. “It will be spectacular in itself.”

The eclipse will start in Petersburg and Wrangell at about 8:15 a.m. on Monday. The moon will cover 60 percent of the sun at about 9:15 a.m., which will last about 2 minutes, Braun said.

Braun, who wouldn’t even consider himself an amatuer astronomist, is with family in Oregon awaiting the rare natural event. He said there might be an extra million more people visiting the state as well.

“The roads might be totally plugged,” Braun said. “The experience you get at the center line is a completely different experience than anywhere else.”

The next total solar eclipse will be in 2024.