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If you\u2019ve been paying attention, you know that on Aug. 21, we\u2019re in for a special cosmic treat: the Great American Eclipse<\/a> of 2017.<\/p>\n The moon\u2019s shadow will track a 4,000-kilometre course across the continental United States from coast to coast, beginning with Depoe Bay, Ore.<\/a>, and end after 93 minutes in McClellanville, S.C.<\/a>. As a result, tens of millions of Americans will be treated to that rarest of natural wonders: a total eclipse of the sun.<\/p>\n Canada, unfortunately, won\u2019t experience a total eclipse, but the view will still be impressive<\/a>: The sun will be 86 per cent eclipsed in Vancouver, 70 per cent in Toronto, and 58 per cent in Montreal. Canadians who want to experience totality from the comfort of home will need to wait until April 8, 2024<\/a> (Hamilton, Montreal and Fredericton), Aug. 23, 2044<\/a> (Edmonton and Calgary) or May 1, 2079<\/a> (Saint John and Moncton).<\/p>\n In the meantime, back here in 2017, everyone is focused on Aug. 21. Under the path of the eclipse, schools will be closed<\/a>, traffic will be a nightmare<\/a>, and hotel rooms at the Days Inn are on offer for $1,600 a night<\/a>.<\/p>\n Absolute faith in eclipse predictions<\/strong><\/p>\n What is remarkable among all this excitement and frenzy is the lack of \u201ceclipse deniers.\u201d Nobody doubts or disputes the detailed scientific predictions of what will happen.<\/p>\n I will be watching the eclipse from Simpson County, Ky.<\/a>, where I expect I will be joined by thousands of others, all of us knowing in advance that totality for us will begin at 1:26:44 p.m., and will end 141 seconds later. It is inconceivable to any of us that the predictions will be wrong by even a single second.<\/p>\n Not one person will argue beforehand that the jury is still out<\/a> on eclipses, that scientists have tampered with the data<\/a>, that eclipses are faked by NASA<\/a>, that exposing children to eclipses causes autism<\/a> or even that eclipses are a Chinese hoax<\/a>. Across the continent, there will be climate deniers, creationists, anti-vaxxers and flat-Earthers looking upwards through their eclipse glasses<\/a>, all soaking up this wondrous moment along with everyone else.<\/p>\n