There's a total eclipse of the sun that will be visible in the U.S. in August, and Mark Bender is pumped about it.
The self described San Antonio 'eclipse chaser' and filmmaker was working on a unique TV public service announcement last night at the Pearl complex north of downtown. He says the PSA, which will air on Discovery Communications' science streaming service 'CuriosityStream' and potentially on television through the Ad Council, encourages people nationwide to travel to the path of the eclipse, which is the first total solar eclipse visible in the US in 37 years, and have a once in a lifetime opportunity to witness it.
Bender says you won't be sorry.
"In fact, after you see it, people I know who think I'm a little bit crazy, say 'oh, you weren't crazy after all. That thing is spectacular'."
Bender says he has been traveling the country to find all different kinds of people, in all sorts of backgrounds, repeating the same mantra:
"People of Earth...prepare yourself for this monumental event."
The eclipse PSA's will run on a four part series on CuriosityStream which will premiere July 13th
."This will be the first time in almost four decades that a total solar eclipse will be visible from the United States," said CuriosityStream's Steve Burns. "The Eclipse Across American team traveled from the shores of Oregon across our great nation to South Carolina, to show our audience the best spots to witness the eclipse."
Bender says the path of the eclipse, from Oregon to South Carolina, will miss San Antonio by about 1100 miles, but he says it's worth traveling the distance to see it.
"It will happen about 1PM so you'll have to go the day before," he said. "It will happen on a Monday. I couldn't make arrangements for it to happen on a weekend, because that's above my pay grade."
But he says, San Antonians, don't fret. Bender knows his eclipses, and he says in seven years, in 2024, there will be another total eclipse of the sun that will be visible in totality across northwest San Antonio.
And he bets he'll be back to make a PSA about that one, too.