NASA map shows where and when to see the total solar eclipse of April 2024, as the path of totality crosses the US

Morgan McFall-JohnsenMar 29, 2024, 03:03 IST

A total solar eclipse at 100% totality.John Finney photography / Getty Images

The total solar eclipse of April 2024 will give more than 30 million people a rare chance to see totality.
NASA mapped the path of totality across the US, from Texas to Ohio to New York to Maine.

A total solar eclipse is crossing the US on April 8, 2024, giving more than 30 million people the rare opportunity to watch the moon obscure the sun and darken the skies.

That's just the people who live in the eclipse's path. Countless others can see it just by driving an hour or two, or taking a short flight.

To see totality — the moment when the moon fully blocks the sun — you need to be in exactly the right place at exactly the right time.

Luckily, NASA made a map to pinpoint just where you should be, and when you should be there.

Path of totality

A map showing where the moon's shadow will cross the US during the April 8 total solar eclipse.NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio

NASA made this detailed map showing the path of totality for the April 8 total solar eclipse.

How long totality lasts

The lines on the map indicate how long the eclipse will last in different places.NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio

White lines on the NASA map, running down the path of totality, indicate how long the eclipse will last along those lines.

Where totality lasts longest

In the best spots, totality will last four minutes.NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio

The outermost lines along the path show where the eclipse will last a minute or two. On the innermost lines, it will last four minutes.

What the purple and yellow lines mean

Texas is a great place to be for the eclipse

The total solar eclipse will appear in Dallas, Texas, around 1:45 p.m. Central Time.NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio

Texas hits a home run with this eclipse, which will begin near San Antonio, Austin, and Dallas.

Arkansas and Missouri are next

The eclipse will appear in Little Rock, Arkansas around 1:50 p.m. Central Time.NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio

Then the eclipse will cast its shadow across the Ozarks in Arkansas and southeastern Missouri.

Totality in the Midwest

The eclipse will appear in Indianapolis just before 3:10 p.m. Eastern Time and then in Cleveland at 3:15 p.m. ET.NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio

People in the Midwest can flock to southern Illinois, Indianapolis, or Cleveland to get into the path of totality.

Totality across New York

The eclipse will appear in Buffalo, New York, at 3:20 p.m. Eastern Time.NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio

Much of the northeast can get its eclipse fix by driving to upstate New York. Niagara Falls, Buffalo, and Syracuse are all in the path of totality.

Last chance in Maine

The eclipse will move through Maine and exit the US by 3:35 p.m. Eastern Time.NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio

Everyone's last chance to see a total solar eclipse in the contiguous US for another 20 years will be late afternoon in northern Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.

How to watch safely

Children use special glasses to look into the sky during a partial solar eclipse in Madrid, Spain.Getty Images

No matter where you are, don't forget eclipse glasses to protect your eyes from permanent damage.

Eclipse glasses are thousands of times darker than regular sunglasses. They should comply with the ISO 12312-2 international standard.

Beware of counterfeits! Look for the real thing through the American Astronomical Society.

No matter where you are, don't forget eclipse glasses to protect your eyes from permanent damage.

Eclipse glasses are thousands of times darker than regular sunglasses. They should comply with the ISO 12312-2 international standard.

Beware of counterfeits! Look for the real thing through the American Astronomical Society.

Careful with cameras and binoculars

People watch a partial solar eclipse in Diyarbakir, Turkey.Sertac Kayar/Reuters

Don't look at the sun through a camera, telescope, or binoculars either. They will concentrate the sun's rays and injure your eyes, unless you have secured a special solar filter.

When you can look with the unaided eye

At totality, the moon fully blocks the sun except for the whisps of its outer atmosphere.Miloslav Druckmüller/NASA

Only at the moment of totality can you safely remove your eclipse glasses. Happy viewing!

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