At this point, majority of Charlotte residents have bought their protective glasses and are making plans to watch the “Great American Eclipse” on Monday, August 21.

“While the very best viewing will be in places like Columbia and Charleston,” said WSOC TV, “what you’ll be able to see in Charlotte will still be incredible.”

Charlotte will be able to see the eclipse at about 98 percent and according to the news channel, you will probably be able to see Jupiter and Venus fairly close to the sun, and if you look, it will look like the sunrise in every direction.

Because of the brightness of the sun, the corona (a ring of hot gas around the sun’s perimeter) is not visible to the naked eye. However, during a total solar eclipse, the Moon blocks out bright sunlight, and we see the corona. It has been 26 years since the last solar eclipse and will be seven years until the next one, making this Monday afternoon event a chance of a lifetime.

During the eclipse’s entirety, it will be as dark as night. The total solar eclipse is about as bright as a full moon, and just as safe to look at. But once the moon starts to expose the sun again, it becomes dangerous to look at without the right kind of eye protection.

Needless to say, this is an extremely rare chance for Charlotte residents and neighbors to experience a natural phenomenon that most won’t be able to see in a lifetime.

If you’re planning to celebrate on eclipse day, restaurants like Krispy Kreme are participating in limited-time eclipse-themed food.

The partial eclipse will begin in Charlotte around 1:12 p.m. on Monday, transitioning into the maximum eclipse at 2:41 p.m. and ending at 4:04 p.m.