ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Folks in Rochester are looking ahead to an event certain to land in the history books.

Preparations were underway Sunday for next year’s total solar eclipse.

Rochester is set to fall under the path of totality on April 8 — making it a hub for tourists around the world. And local leaders are sharing how you can make the most of the experience while spreading the word about just how rare this event will be.

“My first eclipse was in 2017, and I was a complete skeptic,” Rochester Eclipse Task Force Chair Debra Ross said. “I thought, ‘Well, moon goes around the Earth, Earth goes around the sun, it gets dark, what’s the big deal?’ But for those couple of minutes when the world gets transformed and you see a velvet hole in the sky, that is something completely unlike any other experience you’ve ever had.”

If you’re curious, the eclipse is exactly 148 days away. Experts say most of the U.S. will not experience this event again until 2045.