13 March 2024 , 18:27
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A total eclipse of the sun will provide a once in a lifetime sight for a band of Americans as the “path of totality” stretches across the Pacific to the Atlantic.
On 8 April, the moon will cross the path of the sun and shade our planet’s light source for many across North America. This year tens of millions of people will be able to experience one as the “path of totality”, meaning the band of space where the moon will eclipse the sun, stretched across a vast amount of land.
Especially for those in Arkansas and Texas, the stars and planets will appear as total darkness takes place in the middle of the day. Even nocturnal animals have been known to wake up as a chill takes hold of the air.
If skies are clear along the path of total darkness, people will be able to see the sun's corona which is its usually invisible outer atmosphere.
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The US will be graced by the ''path of totality'' this year (NASA)The closer you are to the centre of this line, the better you will be able to experience the eclipse. However, you should be warned that it is still not safe to look directly at the sun and you should be wearing special “eclipse glasses” to view the phenomenon.
The stretch of land that will see the eclipse starts at the Pacific at Mazatlan on Mexico’s Pacific Coast and moves upwards to reach the US-Mexican border at Piedras Negras.
Cities in Texas like San Antonio, Austin and Dallas are on the outskirts of this “path of totality”. However, places like Arkansas will be prime viewing locations for the eclipse as Texarkana and Little Rock are within the “path of totality.”
Moving Midwest, Indianapolis and Cleveland are close enough to the “ path of totality” to qualify as central to the line. In New York, if Buffalo and Niagara Falls are free of cloudy skies, the viewpoints could be hot on the list of top locations to catch the eclipse.
If skies are clear it will seem like night has fallen (Anadolu via Getty Images)The eclipse will start on the Pacific coast at around 11:07 a.m. Pacific Time before hitting Texas it will trail through Oklahoma, to a slither of Tennessee to Ohio, and wind up in Maine. It will finish its journey at 5:16 p.m on the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland.
Although a partial eclipse will be nothing near the full deal, Boston, New York and Chicago will all see enough of the sun eclipsed to feel part of the experience and 48 US states will see a partial eclipse.
To maximise your chances of experiencing the solar eclipse in its full glory in Southern Texas, stay close to San Antonio and Austin. Clear skies are likely and you can also pay a visit to the Space Center in Houston.
Northern Arkansas, Niagara Falls, and southern parts of Canada would all be worth a punt too. If you’re not in America in April, fear not, you have to wait two years before the next solar eclipse but you can catch it in Northern Spain in 2026.