The last time a total solar eclipse crossed the U.S. mainland was on Feb. 26, 1979. (Claritza Jimenez/The Washington Post)To savor the solar eclipse, you don’t need special equipment. As this Monday’s total solar eclipse will create a ribbon of shadow stretching from Oregon to South Carolina, other locations in the continental United States will see varying degrees of a partial eclipse. For the Washington area, this event is a partial eclipse with about 80 percent of the sun obscured, according to the observatory. Have the kids make their own cereal box solar eclipse theater.

Source: Washington Post August 19, 2017 10:52 UTC