Aug. 21, 2017 – this is the day when the skies across North America will darken in the afternoon as the moon passes between the Earth and the sun.

This Great American Solar Eclipse of 2017 will be the first total solar eclipse in the continental United States in 38 years.

In Springfield, Missouri, there will be 96 percent coverage, with the maximum being at 1:13 p.m.

Missouri State University (MSU) will help to share this rare and momentous occasion with the public at a free family-friendly event on campus.

Becky Baker, senior instructor in the department of physics, astronomy and materials science at MSU, sheds more light on the solar eclipse and the upcoming event.

Read the full transcript

For more information, contact Baker at 417-836-5131 or visit the Solar Eclipse 2017 page.