

SC Highway Patrol prepares for traffic ahead of next Monday's solar eclipse

(USA TODAY) -- The biggest and best solar eclipse in American history is coming soon to a sky near you.


Here's everything you need to know about the spectacular event:

How can you safely view the solar eclipse?


Which eclipse glasses are safe?

If you buy eclipse glasses, be sure that they are made by one of the five companies the American Astronomical Society and NASA has certified as safe for use. The companies are American Paper Optics, the Baader Planetarium (in Germany), Rainbow Symphony, Thousand Oaks Optical, and TSE 17. They should all have the “ISO” (International Organization for Standardization) icon. The glasses also must have the ISO reference number 12312-2. 

How many solar eclipse glasses are being sold?

Demand for the special glasses — which allow you to safely view the event — is fast and furious. American Paper Optics in Bartlett, Tenn., the company that produces the most eclipse glasses, is working speedily to churn them out. So far, the company has produced about 37 million glasses and is shipping out as many as 500,000 each day. The company had hoped to make 100 million of the glasses. 

Can you take a photo of the eclipse with your smartphone?


What is a solar eclipse?


When is the solar eclipse?

August 21.

When is the next solar eclipse?


Are there any solar eclipse flights?

If you're worried about clouds ruining your solar eclipse experience Aug. 21, there is one surefire way to see the spectacle: From an aircraft that will fly above any pesky weather problems. Alaska Airlines will charter a flight over the Pacific so select passengers can see the eclipse from the sky. Some commercial flights will, by coincidence, be flying along the eclipse path: Alaska Airlines Flight 3382, Southwest Flight 1368 and Southwest Flight 1559. 

Where are hotels still available?

Procrastinators, rejoice. Whether you're looking for a motel room or just a place to pitch your tent, you still have a few options for a place to stay across the country. One caveat: It'll likely cost you. One motel in Casper, Wyo., just raised its nightly starting rate for the event from $890 to $1,495. And some Airbnb's are going for more than $5,000 a night. You may just be plain out of luck in some places. Most, if not all, hotels in the Greenville, S.C., area are booked the Sunday before the solar eclipse.

What will the economic impact be for cities in the path?

Call it coast-to-coast ka-ching! Just 2-3 minutes of darkness during the Aug. 21 total solar eclipse is bringing in millions of tourist dollars from Oregon to South Carolina, as hotels, campgrounds, restaurants and museums enjoy a phenomenal boon to business. Nashville, the largest U.S. city entirely in the path of the total eclipse, estimates 50,000-75,000 visitors will stay overnight and spend a total of $15 to $20 million. More than 100,000 people are expected to visit Salem, Ore., and spend about $9 million. Charleston, S.C. says the event is so unusual they have no way to project the visitors or how much money the city will rake in.

Will schools be opened or closed for the eclipse?

Even schools are gearing up for the eclipse — by shutting down or ramping up lessons. Several school districts in the South have announced classrooms will be closed Aug. 21 for the rare solar eclipse, while others are incorporating the event into their curriculum. Many schools across the country will be closed regardless because of summer vacation. But school districts across the southern U.S. typically open earlier, forcing them to make a decision: Keep students in school or let them stay home.

Where could clouds ruin your view?

Based on historical weather conditions, both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts could see cloudy conditions. Increased cloud cover will also be possible as the eclipse travels east of the Mississippi River. Both Nashville and Columbia have a 44% chance of clear skies.


Will there be 'eclipse parties?'


How will public lands be affected by people wanting to see the eclipse?

Millions of visitors are projected to swarm the forests and mountains in states within the eclipse path of totality, right at the time wildfire danger and summer tourism is reaching its apex. The nightmare scenario is a wildfire breaking out while roads are clogged with cars and campgrounds filled with people. But there's also concern about thousands of people fighting for just a few open campsites, along with flip-flop wearing hikers attempting to climb dangerous mountains.

Could street lights hinder views of the eclipse?


Why are solar eclipses so rare?


Why is this called the 'Great American Eclipse?'




What time is the solar eclipse?


How long will the solar eclipse last? 


Where is the 'path of totality?'




When was the last solar eclipse?


How 'fast' is the eclipse?


How many people will be able see the total eclipse?


What will I see during a total solar eclipse?


What will happen during the total eclipse?


Where will a partial solar eclipse be visible?


Could this be the most-viewed eclipse ever?


Will traffic be bad on Aug. 21?


Do solar eclipses affect humans?


How can 'citizen scientists' participate in the eclipse?


How are eclipses predicted?


What are some misconceptions about eclipses?


How many people have seen a total solar eclipse?


How many total solar eclipses are there each year?

There is one somewhere on Earth roughly every 18 months.

When was the first solar eclipse?


What is an annular solar eclipse?


What is a hybrid solar eclipse?


What is a lunar eclipse?





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