A possible once in a lifetime experience for some, a total solar eclipse will cross our skies this April 8th.

It’s very rare for the total darkness line to cross over the United States, and this is the closest it’s ever been to home in a very long time.

A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes directly between the sun and the Earth, casting a shadow on our planet. During this extraordinary event, our sky darkens, the temperature drops, and the stars become visible, creating a surreal atmosphere unlike anything else on Earth.

Though the sight is beautiful, it’s quite dangerous to look at it directly. If you’re wanting to go outside and see the eclipse in person, you need to make sure to wear special eclipse-viewing glasses that act as super sunglasses to protect your eyes.

Think about it like this. It’s not fun to look at the sun normally because of its intense light. When the moon is covering up the sun, all the light gets squeezed around the edges, so the light you can see during the eclipse is actually a whole lot brighter than normal sunlight. There have been many unfortunate cases of people losing their vision after looking at an eclipse without protective eyewear. Be safe!

The closest area to South Bend that the line of totality crosses over is in Bloomington, Indiana. Cleveland, Ohio is also a relatively close location in the line.

The next time the line of totality will be in the U.S. will be in 2045, but the locations will be much farther away from South Bend, occurring in the lower part of the country, such as in Alabama and Florida.

If you get the chance to see it, don’t miss this out-of-this-world event!