Some spectacular science will be occurring this August: Americans will be the audience for a special solar eclipse, one that travels from sea to shining sea.

Amazing! But first, some definitions.

In general, the word “eclipse” simply means that, from the point-of-view of an observer, light from an object is blocked by a third object.

Shadow puppets, for example, are due to the artist’s hands eclipsing the light from a lamp, creating silhouettes on a screen. We use curtains and blinds to eclipse the outside sunlight. When my wife feels I am not listening to her, she will step in front of the TV, eclipsing my reruns of “Barney Miller.”

(I will leave any conclusions about the size of my TV and my wife to the imagination of the reader.)

In astronomy, we are often referring to the Earth-Sun-Moon system, and the type of eclipse we witness here on Earth depends on the position, or phase, of our Moon.

During a lunar eclipse, the Moon is in its full phase; that is, in a straight line with the Sun and Earth. The orbital motion of the Moon carries it through Earth’s shadow cone in space.

Solar eclipses occur when the Moon is between the Sun and Earth – a phase called new Moon. Here, the disk of the Sun is blocked (eclipsed) by the Moon.

Even though solar and lunar eclipses frequently occur within two weeks of each other, solar eclipses are much rarer to witness because of their short duration.

Now, I can hear you saying, “Tom, you’re the best. But we have a new Moon and a full Moon every month. Why don’t we have eclipses every month?”

What a great question. You see, the orbit of the Moon is tilted five degrees off the plane defined by Earth orbiting the Sun. So, most months, the Moon is simply too high or too low to cause any eclipse phenomena.

In other words, we have to add another dimension to our thinking. Eclipse conditions occur only when all three objects are in alignment when considered from above and from the side.

There will be a total solar eclipse on Aug. 21. The path of totality, where the entire disk of the Sun is blocked by the Moon, will cross the contiguous United States. Because of this, it is being called the Great American Solar Eclipse. This is the first time such a trans-continental eclipse has occurred since the US declared independence in 1776.

The path of totality is only 70 miles wide. The actual eclipse, as seen from our rotating Earth, will appear to move at about 1,700 miles per hour, beginning in Oregon at 9 a.m. Pacific Time and moving eastward to South Carolina.

Unfortunately, Northeast Florida lies just outside the path of totality. However, we will have the opportunity to see a partial solar eclipse, with nearly 92 percent of the disk of the Sun being obscured by the Moon. The partial eclipse will begin at about 2:10 in the afternoon, peak at 2:50, and end roughly 40 minutes later.

Now I need everyone to pay very close attention to your ol’ buddy Tom: It is never safe to look at the Sun, even during an eclipse. Many incorrectly assume that since all or part of the Sun is blocked, there is no danger.

Not true! The Sun’s intensity is too high under any circumstance, and serious eye injury or even blindness can occur from looking at the Sun.

Squinting, trying to look between your fingers, and even wearing sunglasses do not provide adequate protection from the Sun’s radiation. Solar viewers or welder’s glass rated 14 or higher may be used (with adult supervision, if need be).

The safest way to observe a solar eclipse is simply to poke a hole in a piece of cardboard and hold it up with your back to the Sun. The eclipse can be seen on the projection created on the ground. And, in this time of technology, the eclipse will be streamed live online.

But I put it to you that a solar eclipse is not something that is just glanced at for a moment – it is an experience that goes beyond the eyes. Whether you have plans to drive to the path of totality or are merely going to step onto your front porch, pay full attention to your surroundings.

Feel the change in the wind; note the drop in temperature; listen to the silence of birds and other animals; look at plants wilting, the color of the sky, and stars becoming visible.

These sensations will make the occasion come alive and perhaps even foster a love of nature and science.

“This could well be this generation’s Apollo moment,” said Mike Reynolds, professor of Astronomy and Physics at Florida State College. “What a great way to get kids excited about space.”

Indeed.

Florida will not be privy to another solar eclipse until 2024 and then not until 2045. Take advantage of this rare opportunity to appreciate the grand splendor of nature and Earth’s special place in space.

Tom Webber teaches AP Physics at Oakleaf High School and worked in the planetarium field for nearly 20 years, including at MOSH, and has also taught physics and astronomy at both the secondary and collegiate levels.