D
id you witness nature's greatest
experience during the "Great Ameri-
can Eclipse" in 2017? Although the
entire country saw the moon take a chunk
out of the sun, only the 10 million or so
clued-up Americans who drove into the
"path of totality" stretching from Oregon to
South Carolina witnessed the full experi-
ence.
What's the fuss about? And when is the
next eclipse? During the few minutes of
totality the world goes cold and dark only
for those under the moon's narrow (about
70 miles wide) and fast-moving shadow.
Most incredibly you'll see the sun's corona
—its whispy, white, achingly beautiful outer
atmosphere.
The phenomenon
next happens in Chile
and Argentina on
Dec. 14, 2020, a little
too soon to really
CREDIT: STAN HONDA/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
experience a total
solar eclipse
plan and travel, but then again in Antarctica
(just close to South Shetland) on Dec. 4,
2021. After that it's the whale shark-watch-
ing paradise of Exmouth Peninsula and
Ningaloo reef off Western Australia's Coral
Coast on April 20, 2023 before, once again,
North America gets a turn. On April 8, 2024,
a long, deep total solar eclipse unlike any-
thing seen in North America for centuries
will rip through Mexico (with Mazatlán
being the prime spot), the U.S. (Texas to
Maine—passing right over Niagara Falls) and
Canada (Ontario to Newfoundland). Are
you ready for the "Great North American
Eclipse?" It's time to choose a spot.
