Normally, lack of sunlight on a summer day wouldn’t be a reason to celebrate.

But on Monday, August 21, that’s exactly what lots of people across the country will be doing.

On that day, tens of millions of Americans will have the chance to see a rare coast-to-coast total solar eclipse, something that hasn’t happened since 1918. During this historic 90-minute event, the moon’s shadow as it blocks out the sun will trace a path from Oregon to South Carolina, tracking across 14 states.

What’s the best and safest way to view this extraordinary phenomenon, and what can eclipse-watchers expect? Jason Davis, our guest on today’s Sauropodcast, has the answers.

Jason is an astronomer, educator, and manager of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s Nathan and Fannye Shafran Planetarium, where he’s worked since 2001. For natural history museum members, he’ll be leading an overnight bus trip from Cleveland to a site in Kentucky on the eclipse’s path. You can find out more about that trip at cmnh.org/eclipse.