This coming Monday will mark a long-awaited event by scientists and civilians alike. No, it’s not an important holiday or the landing of a space instrument on a faraway planet. Instead, it’s a rare solar eclipse that can be seen within a certain geographic range across the U.S.

The fact that the solar eclipse could be blinding is not preventing people from making plans to be in the solar eclipse’s path of visibility next week. Even though hotels are sold out and traffic might be miserable in the path of visibility, the solar eclipse is more than just a visual phenomenon. It’s also a way for us to learn more about the sun and our surrounding universe.

Keep reading to learn how solar eclipses have been predicted in the past and what they mean for the future of science!

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