Bay Area astronomers heading north for solar eclipse

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Astronomers are packing their bags and heading north for the upcoming solar eclipse.

VIDEO: Total solar eclipse 2017: Everything you need to know

What makes this eclipse so rare? These facts and figures answer that and more.

Eclipse fever was running high at the Chabot Space and Science Center Wednesday.

Astronomer Gerald McKeegan is taking two rigs to Oregon where telescopes and cameras will capture eclipse images along the path of totality.

"This telescope will track it, so all you need to do is set up the camera, you program the camera, and you just start taking pictures every minute or so until the eclipse is over, and you go through them, pick out the best ones and show them to your friends," McKeegan said.

Glasses that you can use to safely watch the eclipse are being sold at the Chabot Center, and they'll be holding a free viewing party there on the 21st.

The 2017 Path of Totality

NASA says, "This animation closely follows the Moon's umbra shadow as it passes over the United States during the August 21, 2017 total solar eclipse. Through the use of a number of NASA datasets, notably the global elevation maps from Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, the shape and location of the shadow is depicted with unprecedented accuracy."

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.