by In four weeks, on April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will sweep across North America, providing an astronomical experience in many captivating locations.
Only a fraction of humanity has ever seen a total eclipse – but thousands will be able to experience one as the “path of totality” sweeps from the Pacific to the Atlantic during that magical Monday.
Here’s what you need to know about why you should see it and where to be.
What happens during a total solar eclipse?
The greatest show on earth comes courtesy of the lifeless moon. Ordinarily the orbiting lunar nugget only provides earth with tides, moonlight and somewhere to point a space rocket. But about once a year the natural satellite aligns with the sun and, thanks to a geometric miracle, destroys the center of the solar system to create a total eclipse.
“Although the moon is 400 times smaller than the sun, it is also about 400 times closer to the earth than the sun,” says NASA. “This means that the earth, the moon and the sun appear to be about the same size in the sky.”
A narrow band marking the “path of totality” carves an arc of darkness across the surface of our planet. If you are somewhere on that line at the predicted time, and you have a clear sky, then the experience will be a memory of a lifetime.
The closer you are to the center of the path of totality, the longer the total eclipse will last.
What is so good about seeing an eclipse?
After a warm up that lasted more than an hour, during which the moon steadily nibbles away at the surface of the sun, you suddenly experience the whole. The stars and planets are visible in the middle of the day. The air cools.
To testify to the celestial fit between the two most familiar celestial bodies, faint diamonds known as Baily’s beads peek out from behind the moon. They contain light from the sun sliding through moonlit valleys.
A sight to behold – as long as you can see the moon outshining the sun and appreciate the mathematical perfection of nature in our corner of the galaxy.
Eclipses are completely predictable: we know the streaks the next few dozen will paint on the Earth’s surface. But the weather is not. The cloud cover, which marred the 1999 Cornish eclipse, downgrades cosmological wonders to gloom.
Where will the great American eclipse of 2024 be seen?
The path of totality leaves the Pacific Ocean at Mazatlan on Mexico’s Pacific coast and sweeps northeast to reach the US-Mexico border at Piedras Negras.
The big Texan cities – San Antonio, Austin and Dallas – are at the extremes of totality; many citizens are likely to drive to locations near the center of the line.
Arkansas will be an attractive place to view the eclipse, with Texarkana (on the Texas border) and Little Rock within the path of totality.
In the Midwest, the distinction between Indianapolis and Cleveland is central to the path of totality. In upstate New York, Buffalo Falls and Niagara Falls can be particularly attractive – although there is a good chance in early April for cloudy skies.
In Canada, the path of totality touches Montreal. The line then returns to the US, crossing northern Maine – a great location if the weather is good. Then back to the Maritime Provinces of Canada, with New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland all in the dark.
I’d rather be in a more exciting city – will they get a partial eclipse?
Boston, New York and Chicago are among the big cities that will see a big chunk of the sun; but nothing to compare with a total eclipse.
Astronomer Dr. John Mason, who has led dozens of eclipse tours (and will be doing so again in 2024) calls the difference between a 99.5 percent partial eclipse and a total eclipse as far apart as “a peck on the cheek and a. night of passion”.
You must use special eclipse safety glasses or viewers when viewing a partial eclipse or during the partial phases of a total solar eclipse.
Where should I be for the full experience?
There are no guarantees of clear skies: you just play the odds based on the record cloud cover for the corresponding date in previous years.
Dr. Mason says average cloud cover amounts are expected to increase from about 40-45 percent on the Mexico/Texas border to over 80 percent in Maine, New Brunswick and Newfoundland.
Three very attractive spots:
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South Texas, close to San Antonio or Austin. In addition to being more likely to have clear skies, it is easily accessible via direct flights to Austin. Importantly, there is much to explore in the region before and after the eclipse, from Big Bend National Park on the Rio Grande to the Houston Space Center – a great place to continue the cosmological theme.
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North Arkansasa picturesque part of the state, with the added attraction of Memphis only a few hours away.
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Niagara Falls: it may be washed out due to clouds, but the natural environment is impeccable – and there are many hotel accommodations. In addition, access from Toronto is easy thanks to a direct two-hour train connection, eliminating the risk of heavy traffic jams on the highways.
If you are in a remote location, you may need a hotel close to the location. Almost as predictable as the eclipse, traffic to and from the path of totality will be heavy on the nights of 7-8 April 2024.
Rooms are likely to be expensive; during the 2017 US eclipse a midrange hotel in Jackson, Wyoming, was charging over $1,000 for the previous critical night.
When will the next total solar eclipses be?
Summer 2026 – Wednesday August 12, to be exact – should see a spectacular eclipse in northern Spain at the height of the European holiday season. The path of totality starts in the Arctic and crosses Greenland and Iceland before reaching the northern half of Spain. The streak of darkness will cross the major cities of Bilbao, Zaragoza and Valencia on the Spanish mainland before reaching Palma de Mallorca.
Next summer (2 August 2027), the southern tip of mainland Spain is in the path of totality for an eclipse that will sweep across North Africa and the Arabian peninsula: going east from the Straits of Gibraltar, it will include Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, the most north-east corner of the Sudan, Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
Just under 12 months later, on 22 July 2028, Going back to Australia the place will be. A total eclipse will land in northern Western Australia, sweep across the Northern Territory and part of south-west Queensland – then clear across New South Wales, with Sydney in the middle of the path of totality.
Winter cloud cover could affect the experience in Australia’s largest city – and it is likely to be in the southern part of New Zealand’s South Island where the eclipse will end.
Australia also appears in cosmological plans on 25 November 2030. This is early summer in the southern hemisphere, and conditions are likely to be good for viewing in Namibia, Botswana and South Africa (Durban is in the path of totality) as well as South Australia.
