Eclipse

photo courtesy of BBC

Today is a rare occasion here in North America. A chance to see a solar eclipse, including a total eclipse if one is in the Path Of Totality, the relatively narrow strip of land that runs east to west through the U.S.. Here in Calgary, we're only going to get about 77% coverage of the sun during the eclipse, so still a pretty good view. The next eclipse will occur in 2024, however the viewing area for a total eclipse will be much smaller than now.

As for the Path Of Totality, it sounds like something out of sci-fi movie or perhaps the road to some sort of enlightenment. Maybe the latter, in a different sense of the word! haha. I know some people who took time off work so they could drive down to Portland Oregon to see the total eclipse, since it is located in the P.O.T.. It may very well be a once in a lifetime chance to see the phenomena. See the diagram below to determine your own odds of a future sighting. 

photo courtesy of Carnival Cruise Line