The countdown is on until one of the biggest shows in the sky unfolds across North America and here in South Florida.
Monday's solar eclipse is creating a buzz at the Frost Museum of Science in Miami, where thousands are expected to view the phenomenon.
"It's awesome, it's the first time I've ever seen it obviously, it hasn't happened in a long time and it's pretty cool," says Carlos Sotangulo, a fifth-grade student who just got his certified viewing glasses Friday.
"It's so exciting, it's great for us to see people really getting engaged and interested in something that is such an astronomical events," says Lindsey Bartholomew, the Director of Technology and Youth Development at the Frost Museum of Science.
Several telescopes will be setup on the roof and plaza with special filters to safely view the moon pass between the sun and the earth. Five-thousand approved solar glasses will be handed out to guests, and the museum even has a backup plan in case it's cloudy.
"If we happen to have clouds or rain that day we will still be broadcasting NASA's live feed of the eclipse from places in the museum we have big projection screens so people can see the spectacular eclipse," Bartholomew said.
Astrophysicist and FIU Professor James R. Webb is over the moon about the solar eclipse. The university will hand out glasses to anyone who joins their celebration Monday at noon on campus at the Stocker AstroScience Center.
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Webb said that this is a chance for science to shine on the national stage.
"Since we can predict eclipses hundreds of years in advance right down to the very second they're going to happen, and the exact locations of what you're going to see from every location, I hope that gives the public more faith and confidence in scientists that we're not doing this for politics, this is the way the world works," Webb said.
If you can't get your hands on glasses, check out our video to learn how you can turn a shoebox into a homemade viewing box to indirectly and safely watch the solar eclipse.
