Question: When is the next total eclipse of the sun?
Answer: Mark your calendar for the next total solar eclipse on Friday, Aug. 1, 2008 — but only if you are in northern Canada, northern Greenland, the Arctic, central Russia, Mongolia or China. We won't be able to see it down here in the lower part of North America. The next one most of the continental U.S. will be able to see will be Aug. 21, 2017. There was a near total eclipse visible on May 30, 1984, said David Dundee, astronomer for the Fernbank Science Center in Atlanta. A total solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun and is a rare occurrence. There needs to be a new moon, and sun; Earth and moon need to be perfectly aligned, says Dundee.
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