And many will certainly come to Paducah this weekend for the total solar eclipse expected to draw thousands.

That's because far western Kentucky is in the path of totality, meaning that for just a few minutes on April eight, the moon will completely block out the sun.

The event is not only cool, but for NASA.

It's also a cool opportunity for research.

It's a moment when millions of people across North America will look to the heavens as the moon passes in front and between the sun of the and the earth.

And it's a rare sight that we haven't seen in seven years.

Eclipses have a special power.

They move people to feel a kind of reverence for the beauty of our universe.

Their power is not only to unify us on Earth, but to further science and discovery.

By observing the temporary decrease in sunlight at a much quicker timescale than we experience for sunrise and sunset.

We're going to gain insight specifically into how sunlight affects the ionosphere.

We'll be using rockets, planes and balloons and on the ground observations to optimize the science return of the eclipse.

And although the focus will be on our sun's corona or outer atmosphere as the moon blocks the bright disk of the sun, the eclipse also gives us the unique opportunity to research our Earth's reaction to that sudden loss of sunshine.

So these parts have been known for a while and they come in kind of cycles that are mathematically able to tell when we're going to pass the moon in between the earth and the sun just right.

So you get that shadow cast.

And based on that orientation of the sun, the moon and the earth, and taking into account all the different tilts of everything, we're able to make those band predictions because we now know the exact peaks and valleys on the moon.

And we're able to tell you just how far that shadow of the eclipse will.

We'll project on to the earth.

Make sure you have the proper eye protection like the eclipse glasses and as you look at the heavens on April the eighth when the eclipse starts.

Please, please put those glasses on.

That just so happens we're at solar maximum.

So the chance we're going to see something amazing is very high.

And we are looking forward to it.

Katie will be in Paducah next Monday night for the eclipse.

Be sure to join us here on Kentucky Edition and stick around for Eclipse 2020 for a special report.

Next Monday in place of Kentucky tonight.