US in rare bull's-eye for total solar eclipse on Aug. 21

"We're going to be looking at this event with unprecedented eyes," promises Alex Young, a solar physicist who is coordinating NASA's education and public outreach.

Eclipse Fests, StarFests, SolarFests, SolFests, Darkening of the SunFests, MoonshadowFests, EclipseCons, Eclipse Encounters and Star Parties are planned along the long but narrow path of totality, where the moon completely blots out the sun.

Vineyards, breweries, museums, parks, universities, stadiums — just about everybody is getting into the act.

Minor league baseball teams will halt play for "eclipse delays" in Salem, Oregon, and elsewhere.

By a cosmic quirk of the calendar, the Little Green Men Days Festival will be in full swing in Kelly, Kentucky, as will the American Atheists' annual convention in North Charleston, South Carolina.

The student-launched, high-altitude balloons will beam back live video of the eclipse along the route.

Originating in the wide open North Pacific and ending in the Atlantic well short of Africa, the path of totality will cover 8,600 miles (13,800 kilometers) from end to end.

With an estimated 200 million people living within a day's drive of the path, huge crowds are expected.

Highway officials already are cautioning travelers to be patient and, yes, avoid eclipses in judgment.

To give everyone a shot at the cosmic drama, which falls on a Monday, many schools are canceling classes, while offices plan to take a break or close for the day.