The upcoming solar eclipse has had just about everyone across the country boiling over with excitement, and as the days of waiting turn to hours and minutes, eclipse pandemonium is in full swing.

Essentially, the moon's orbit will bring it between the sun and earth in a line, allowing those of us in the continental United States to witness the blockage, which is an eclipse. Thanks to the fact that the sun is 400 times larger than the moon, yet the moon is 400 times closer to the Earth, both bodies have the same angular size, and appear to be the same size to observers, allowing for near-complete coverage. However, our area is not in the range of totality - that is, we will only see a partial eclipse - and while it won't seem like the lights went out completely, the eclipse will still produce a good show.TimingDr. Robert Cohen, professor of physics and department chair at East Stroudsburg University, said that the moon will begin moving in front of the sun around 1:20 p.m. on Monday, with maximum coverage occurring around 2:42 p.m."Starting around 2 p.m., the slight darkening of the surroundings might be noticeable, but I'm guessing to most people it would just seem like a thin cloud passing in front of the sun, particularly since the change will be so gradual," Cohen said. "By 2:30 p.m., I think the darkening of the surroundings, grass and such, should be more noticeable. At Lehighton, the moon will cover 74 percent of the sun's area, which is equivalent to 79 percent of the sun's diameter. The further south you go, the greater the coverage."Including total and partial solar and lunar eclipses, on average, you can view about two or three eclipses of all kinds each year. Total solar eclipses alone usually occur about two times every three years. For those of us in the continental United States, Monday's eclipse will be the first time since Feb. 26, 1979, that a total eclipse traveled directly overhead our viewing area.Public wonderWhile our area will only get a piece of the eclipse pie, many are thrilled to take part in the historic event locally. The online community is flooded with recommendations about the best way to take in the spectral event, including themed eclipse parties. ESU will even host a little get-together on the front lawn of the Warren E.and Sandra Hoeffner Science and Technology Center on Normal Street between 1:30 and 3 p.m."Maximum eclipse for the Pocono Mountains region is expected at 2:43 p.m. Two land telescopes will be set up - one will act as a projector and produce an image of the actual eclipse on a white board, while the other will have a special solar filter that will make it safe for people to view. My colleague, Dr. Jerry Ross, will be overseeing that," Cohen said.However, some locals are going all out, and heading down south to enjoy the show from a more complete vantage point.Charlie Sproule of Stone Row Pub and Eatery in Jim Thorpe will be catching the glory of the total eclipse in Columbia, South Carolina.Sproule said that he plans on making the trip to the capital city on Sunday, along with some friends. The city is set to host numerous activities during the total eclipse, but Sproule is keeping his options open."I'm just going to play it by ear, find some of the events that are going on in town," he said.Of course, he avoided the chaos of finding a place to stay by booking a hotel about four or five months ago, so there is no need to worry about accommodations. The only problem may be finding a pair of glasses to get a good view of the eclipse, as Sproule said that he can't seem to find them anywhere.Eye protectionRemember that if you want to see the glory of the eclipse firsthand, make sure that you have a certified pair of eclipse glasses or viewing aids.Optometrist Robert F. Marcin warns that even when the moon blocks the sun in our area, irreparable eye damage is still a possibility."Solar retinopathy is damage to the inside nerve layer, the retina, of the eye from exposure to the sun's solar radiation light, and it occurs when bright light from the sun floods the retina and is caused by staring at the sun for too long," Marcin said. "Normally, for most people it is difficult to look at the sun long enough to cause this, but the eclipse makes it more comfortable to stare at the sun as the moon blocks the sun rays' path."Without the proper eye protection, the retinal cells can be damaged if viewing the eclipse. This occurs painlessly, and people will not realize they are damaging their eyes. This can lead to temporary or permanent vision impairment."Marcin said that symptoms of retinopathy can include loss of central vision, painful, watery eyes, altered color perception and a decrease in one's best vision. These issue may not present immediately, and can show up even days later. If you happen to experience any of the listed symptoms, make sure to seek treatment from an eye care professional as soon as possible.Gathering dataEven if you don't plan on joining the millions of people heading to a viewpoint along the totality path, or attending an eclipse party, you can still partake in the fun while contributing to a scientific effort.One of the exciting elements in regard to the timing of the event is the number of Americans who happen to have access to high-powered technology, including tablets and smartphones. Thanks to the prevalence of these devices, NASA has been promoting numerous citizen science projects surrounding the eclipse.The amount of information that can be acquired through millions of smartphone photos, videos and photos is, ahem, astronomical. If you would like to join in the effort, visit

https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/citizen-science. NASA will also be hosting a livestream of the eclipse, which you can access at

https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/eclipse-live-stream.No matter how you plan to spend the afternoon, make sure to play it safe, and most of all, have fun."It's a once in a lifetime event, and this is one of the best places to see it happen on the East Coast," Sproule said. "I'm looking forward to experiencing it, having some fun, and hanging out with friends."Fun facts• The first recorded eclipse in human historical records occurred on Oct. 22, 2134,

B.C.E.• The Babylonian eclipse on May 3, 1375,

B.C.E. is the oldest successfully predicted and recorded in the western world.• The first professional photograph of an eclipse was taken by daguerreotypist Johann Julius Friedrich Berkowski on July 28, 1851, at the Royal Prussian Observatory at Königsberg (now Kaliningrad, in Russia).• The longest total solar eclipse from 4000

B.C.E. to 8000 C.E., a span of 12,000 years, will occur on July 16, 2186, and will last 7 minutes 29 seconds.Source: NASA