The last time there was a solar eclipse was in 2017. There are some key differences between that one, and the eclipse that we're set to experience on April 8, 2024. Total solar eclipses occur when the moon passes right between the sun and the Earth, blocking the sun's light and rays.
I'm lucky, I get to experience both eclipses in person. In 2017, I was living in the Charleston, SC area, and found myself in the path of totality for that year's eclipse. They excitement was palpable. Everyone was abuzz with eclipse fever, and glasses were at a premium. The area was ready.
Then came the day in August when the eclipse was happening. Of course, there was a layer of clouds overhead that made truly watching the eclipse null and void. No matter, the world was still scheduled to go dark for a short while, and I wanted to experience it.
![WZOZ logo](https://townsquare.media/site/987/files/2021/05/512-15.jpg?w=100)
Being a devout fan of horror/cataclysm movies, I wanted to be home safe for the experience. Unfortunately, that was not in the cards. I was working in the medical industry at the time and my lunch break started just minutes before the eclipse got underway.
I drove a few miles, and tucked into a park where there were two police cars parked. I felt safe in the moment, confident that if zombies or ghouls rose from the grave, I might have a fighting chance. I cued up the Grateful Dead's Dark Star, the classic live one from 1969. The music played and swirled in perfect sync with the world going dark. It was a few moments of magic I won't soon forget.
In a statement, NASA’s Science Mission Directorate Nicola Fox said: “This year’s total solar eclipse will be at least partially visible to all in the contiguous United States, making it the most accessible eclipse this nation has experienced in this generation."
The next eclipse will not happen until 2044.
Remarkable Theaters in Our Region You Need to Know About
More From WZOZ
![Super Heroes Humane Society Pet of the Week – Truffle](http://townsquare.media/site/454/files/2024/07/attachment-truffle.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Alert: Boy Missing from Town of Oneonta, New York](http://townsquare.media/site/454/files/2024/07/attachment-damian.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Oneonta, New York Newspaper Sees Massive Shift](http://townsquare.media/site/454/files/2024/07/attachment-allotsego.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![A Lifetime of the Blues Remembered](http://townsquare.media/site/454/files/2024/07/attachment-mayall.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Susquehanna SPCA Pet of the Week – Cupid](http://townsquare.media/site/454/files/2024/07/attachment-cupid.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Unadilla, New York Man, Mother Arrested on Sexual Abuse Charges](http://townsquare.media/site/454/files/2024/07/attachment-sheriff.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Fatal Crash Closes Route 7 in Oneonta, New York](http://townsquare.media/site/454/files/2024/07/attachment-NYSP.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![How To Make This Corny Mexican Specialty](http://townsquare.media/site/454/files/2024/07/attachment-daniel-lloyd-blunk-fernandez-xisE_VKw6WM-unsplash.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Sweet Corn Season Has Arrived in Otsego County, New York](http://townsquare.media/site/454/files/2024/07/attachment-marek-studzinski-K-9XetLaMKc-unsplash.jpg?w=980&q=75)