Of all astronomical phenomena, probably none is as captivating as total eclipses of the sun, and with good reason.

What could be more dramatic than having the sun briefly disappear during a clear, cloudless day, or more alarming?

Until they figured out what was going on, our ancestors came up with many different explanations, and most didn’t view eclipses as good things. Some thought an animal was eating the sun and had to be frightened off with noise. Others saw eclipses as portends of bad events to come.

We now know total solar eclipses result when the moon passes exactly between the Earth and sun, blocking the sun from view for up to several minutes.

While many have seen total eclipses of the moon, most (including myself) have never seen a total solar eclipse. Lunar eclipses are more easily seen because when the moon passes through Earth’s shadow in a lunar eclipse, the darkened moon can be seen by everyone on the side of Earth facing the moon.

But when the moon passes in front of the sun, it casts a narrow — on average 100-mile-wide — shadow across Earth called the path of totality.

The total eclipse is visible only from that narrow path, beyond which only a partial eclipse can be seen. Thus, the occurrence of a total solar eclipse over any given location on Earth is rare, explaining why most of us have never seen one.

On average less than one per decade occurs over the lower 48 states, the last three being in 1979, 1970 and 1963. And none of these passed over our southwestern quadrant of the U.S.

Between now and the end of the century, there will be 8 total solar eclipses where the path of totality passes over the lower 48 states: 2017, 2024, 2044, 2045, 2052, 2078, 2079 and 2099. That’s not a lot, but the next two should be well worth the wait.

Aug. 21, 2017, an eclipse enters the U.S. in Oregon, moves southeasterly across the heartland, and exits in South Carolina, with its point of maximum duration of 2 minutes and 40 seconds being in western Kentucky. That’s just 8 years away and during vacation season, so start making your plans.

The one I’m anxiously awaiting occurs April 8, 2024. The eclipse reaches its point of maximum duration of 4 minutes and 28 seconds in central Mexico, then enters the U.S. near Eagle Pass, Texas. It moves northeasterly, exiting the U.S. in Maine.

My excitement comes from the fact that it will pass directly over my home in Central Texas, so I won’t have to go anywhere.

Since it will be here in only 15 years, the rest of you can start calling me to book our guest room or a camping spot in our side yard — for free, of course. We’ll have a grand party.

For more information about these eclipses, see my Web site.

* Next two weeks — Average sunrise: 7:05 a.m.; average sunset: 7:55 p.m. Monday evening, Saturn is to the left of the waxing gibbous moon. Thursday’s full moon is called Egg Moon, Grass Moon and Easter Moon.

The morning of April 13, the star Antares is to the left of the waning gibbous moon. The moon is at third quarter April 17.

* Naked-eye planets — (The sun, moon and planets rise in the east and set in the west because of Earth’s west-to-east rotation on its axis.)

Evening: Saturn is well up in the east southeast. Morning: At the first crack of dawn, Jupiter is the brightest object in the east southeast, with “morning star” Venus and much fainter Mars (to Venus’ right) rising in the east.

Stargazer appears every other Saturday in the Brazos Living section. Paul Derrick is an amateur astronomer who lives in Waco. Contact him at (254) 753-6920 or at paulderrickwaco@aol.com. See the Stargazer Web site at stargazerpaul.com.