The coming 2024 solar eclipse is rare. But just how rare is it?

You may have heard that a really cool total solar eclipse is happening soon — and that you shouldn’t miss it, because they’re rare. But just how rare?A total solar eclipse — when the moon passes in between the sun and Earth and completely blocks the sun for a few minutes or so — is on average visible somewhere on our planet every 18 months. But over 70 percent of our planet’s surface is…