The countdown is winding down to April 8, the date of the last solar eclipse here in the U.S for the next 20 years. This Monday, you'll want to set some time aside in your schedule just before lunch to catch the spectacular sight in the skies above Colorado.
What will happen in Colorado during the eclipse?
Here's what you need to know about that day. The skies will go dark for those in the path of totality. That path will stretch from Texas and will go Northeast across the country and into parts of Northern New England.
Colorado, of course, is not in that path of totality. However, we will still get in on the show here in the Centennial State with a partial solar eclipse. In the Denver area, only about 65% of the sun will be covered by the moon during the peak of the eclipse.
"It will look like it has a big bite out of it, it'll look like a crescent moon," said Dr. Jennifer Hoffman, a Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Denver. "It's not something we see very often."
Here's what the cloud forecast is looking like in Colorado for our partial eclipse.
Eclipse timeline
The eclipse is happening this Monday, April 8. It starts at 11:28 a.m. here in Colorado.
The eclipse will peak at 12:40 p.m., and will end at 1:54 p.m. The entire eclipse will last about 2 hours and 26 minutes from start to finish over the Colorado area.
"So, it's not like you are going to miss it if you don't get out there at specifically at the right time," said Hoffman. "I would encourage everybody to poke their heads up anytime they can, during the late morning, early afternoon, and just see what they can see."
What you need to know about watching the eclipse
If you plan to watch the rare celestial event here in Colorado, you will need special glasses. But be warned: Fake eclipse glasses are hitting the market.
You'll have to look at them closely. Experts say you can test the glasses by looking at an indoor light. If the light is dim or even invisible, then the glasses should be legitimate.
"You don't want to mess around with this, so make sure you have approved glasses," Hoffman said.
How to tell real eclipse glasses from dangerous fakes
The fanfare around Monday's rare celestial event has caused a spike in fake solar eclipse glasses. In the video player above, see how to stay safe and make sure you're using the right glasses for proper viewing.
Eclipse viewing events in Denver
There are a couple of places here in Denver that will have safe viewing events for the public on the day of the eclipse. The first is at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. It will have 30-minute eclipse presentations at its Planetarium at 9:30 a.m., 10:15 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. An outdoor viewing event will follow the final presentation.
The other event will be at the Chamberlin Observatory in Denver. They will have people with safe viewing equipment there as well. It's Monday, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
When is the next eclipse in Colorado?
There will be an eclipse in 2044 that will start in Greenland, go through Canada and end in Montan, North Dakota and South Dakota.
In 2045, parts of Colorado, south of I-70, will be in the path of totality for that eclipse.
The last total solar eclipse in Denver happened back in June of 1918. Records show the area was covered by clouds, and people couldn't see that eclipse.