This year’s total eclipse of the sun, cuts a path across the United States including – fortunately for us – right across the upper central portion of Missouri.
This Moon-shadow is coming right down main street, literally… because the Old School is located right on Main Street.
On August 21, just before the noon hour (depending on where you are), the moon will begin passing between the earth and the sun. Approximately one hour later, periods of totality – or complete darkness – will occur across the state.
Of the nearly 8600 miles of totality covered by this year’s eclipse, only about 2500 miles are over land and that path is only 70 miles wide and it’s cutting right across the United States. While it’s true that the entire country will experience some degree of the solar eclipse, anyone outside of the 70 mile strip of totality will only experience a partial eclipse.
According to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, the last total eclipse to touch the Show Me State occurred on August 7, 1869 – that was just seven years before the Old School was built – and it only clipped the northeast corner. The last total eclipse to cover this much of the United States happen before there was a United States.
If you’re dead center of the path of totality you’ll see the sky go dark for a little more than 2 1/2 minutes. Stars will be visible. A rare front row seat is afforded to the people of the Show Me State as they are expected to experience a the totality of the eclipse more than any other state along the events path. In the months ahead we hope to prepare you for what some are calling the greatest space science event since the 1969 moon landing. We will tell you what you need to have to view the eclipse, where you can go in our area if you’re not in the path, and where in our area we’re planning to have celebrations to mark the event.
The Old School on the Hill is planning to have a celebration for those who are staying with us! We will have a barbecue and places to sit up on the Hill We are excited about this spectacular event that is show-cased here in mid-Missouri! 
