Four Years Ago: 2017 Eclipse Brought Darkness and Traffic To Wyo

On Monday, August 21, 2017, a total solar eclipse of the sun darkened the late morning skies of a large swath of the United States, including Wyoming. The center of the path of the eclipse, meaning the place where it's the darkest, ran right through the middle of the Cowboy State.

The path went through the center of Wyoming from just south of Yellowstone National Park, straight over Casper, Wyoming, and then into Nebraska north of Cheyenne near Torrington. The eclipse began at 10:22 AM Mountain Time, and the darkest part of the event passed over Casper at 11:42 AM.

Casper Revels in the Majesty of the Total Solar Eclipse [VIDEO]

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Being in the direct path of the event brought thousands of people to Wyoming that August day in 2017. Not only because total solar eclipses are rare events and have hardcore fans that travel the world to experience and document them. It was also a big deal because according to Space.com, "...it's rare for one to be visible to so many people across such a populated swath of the planet."

"At times, Cheyenne was looking more like Denver with traffic congestion along Interstate 25," is what The Associated Press said about that day in Wyoming. More than half a million vehicles drove into, and back out of, Wyoming that day.

Wyoming Traffic Count Jumps by Over Half a Million Vehicles for Solar Eclipse

The last time a total solar eclipse crossed Wyoming was in 1918, the path of totality ran across the southwestern corner of the state near Rock Springs and Green River. The next one even close to Wyoming will be the 2048 eclipse that will cross through Colorado.