Total solar eclipses are astonishing events to witness, and preparations for them — particularly for eclipses with paths that are visible to large numbers of people, such as the Aug. 21 eclipse — can generate widespread “eclipse fever” that lasts for months. However, the eclipse itself speeds by all too quickly, with the total eclipse visible for about 2 minutes. The fleeting nature of eclipses is a good thing. While the moon doesn’t block the sun’s light for long, other events in Earth’s past did significantly obstruct the sun for weeks, months or even years at a time, which can have devastating consequences for life on the planet.
https://www.livescience.com/60004-what-if-sun-blocked-years.html
