Columbus, Ga (WRBL)- Monday afternoon, the total solar eclipse will first start in Texas, making its way up through Arkansas, and into New England. Here, we won’t see a total solar eclipse, but the sun will still be roughly 80% covered.

When to get outside: Those hoping to get outside and see the partial solar eclipse will have a wide window. The eclipse will start at roughly 1:43PM and will last through 4:18PM. However the maximum eclipse will be at 3:02 PM ET.

Astronomer Dr. Rosa Williams, Director of the WestRock Observatory at the Coca-Cola Space and Science Center, shared how they are prepping for the upcoming eclipse. They will be looking for solar activity or sunspots. These become more visible during the solar eclipse on the outer edges that are still visible. The main goal of the CCSCC is to educate their students during the eclipse.

2024 vs 2017: The last solar eclipse to be visible from the United States was in 2017. Dr. Shawn Cruzen, Executive Director of the Coca-Cola Space Science Center, explains that the last solar eclipse was much closer to Columbus, and there was also a smaller area of totality (area covered during the eclipse). The upcoming eclipse will be longer and will cover a wider area.

This difference is driven by the fact that we are approaching a solar maximum.The solar activity cycle is something that varies. So, the number of sunspots and solar storms happening on the surface of the sun varies in an 11 year cycle.

Safety: The Coca-Cola Space and Science Center wants to encourage everyone to practice safe eclipse viewing. The most efficient way is to purchase ISO certified eclipse glasses.

Get out and enjoy the solar eclipse safely, because the next total solar eclipse that will be visible from Columbus won’t be until 2045.