Everything You Need to Know About the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse

Well folks, we've almost made it. April 8, 2024—the date when the next total solar eclipse is set to cross North America—is just four days away. If you are hoping to get a good look at the rare celestial phenomenon, it is definitely time to make sure your eclipse plan is in order.

Solar eclipse tourism is a huge industry and destinations along the path of totality for the 2024 total solar eclipse have been preparing for an influx of travelers to arrive in their communities for years now. According to the Great American Eclipse, 32 million people already live along the US path of totality, and major cities like New York, Boston, and Philadelphia are all within 200 miles of the path, so there will almost certainly be a mass of people traveling to experience this.

Hotels, campsites, and vacation rentals along the path of totality have been seeing surging business for months, and plenty of accommodations in these areas are already booked up far in advance of the April 8, 2024 eclipse. The same can also be said for the many cruise lines that are offering unique solar eclipse-centric sailings.

With a few days to go before the main event, we wanted to outline everything you need to know to prepare for eclipse travel this spring.

The next total solar eclipse that will be viewable from North America will cross the continent on April 8, 2024. As NASA outlines in its detailed overview of the eclipse, the eclipse's path of totality in North America will begin around 11:07 am PDT near Mazatlan on Mexico's Pacific coast that day. Once totality begins, depending on where you’re located, it will last for a varying period of time.

At its peak (if you’re in Zaragoza, Mexico, you’re in luck!), it should last four minutes and 27 seconds, roughly the length of Canadian band LEN's 1999 hit "Steal My Sunshine." The shortest totality will bless the eyes of those living in Canada’s Grand Falls for one minute and 10 seconds. A partial eclipse will be viewable for about 70 to 80 minutes both before and after the period of totality.

The path of the eclipse is then expected to enter Texas and will continue along a northeastern path across the entire continent, extending from Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, and Illinois all the way to New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. The path will then enter Canada and will exit continental North America off the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland at 5:16 pm NDT.

For a more detailed outline of when totality is forecast to begin in each community along the path, NASA has compiled a table offering localized estimates. For example, the total eclipse should be viewable in Dallas starting at 1:40 pm CDT on April 8, 2024. In Cleveland, Ohio, it will begin at 3:13 pm EDT, and in Caribou, Maine, totality should start at 3:32 pm EDT.

It is also important to note that, due to recent new calculations about the size of the sun, the path of totality is always slightly approximate and might end up being slightly different from what was expected on even official maps. Nothing to worry about, though—as a NASA scientist recently told Thrillist, the presumed difference would only affect the cities that are right on the edge of the path of totality. The solution if you're located there? Try and move a mile or two towards the center of the path, and you should be fine. 

NASA has created a detailed map showing the total solar eclipse’s full path across the US including the times of totality. Additional localized details are also available on the Great American Eclipse's free mobile app.

As NASA explains, a total solar eclipse occurs when the moon's path passes between the sun and Earth and completely covers the sun. When in the path of totality, the sky will darken as though it were nighttime.

More generally speaking, solar eclipses—whether they be partial or total—occur anytime the sun, the moon, and the Earth are in either full or partial alignment. This happens at least twice a year to some degree, but because the moon doesn't orbit in the same plane as the sun and Earth, a total solar eclipse observed from one specific location on Earth is relatively rare.

"Solar eclipses are kind of rare," Dr. Michael Kirk, a research scientist in the Heliophysics Science Division at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, told Thrillist. "If you look at it from a global perspective, we'll get a total solar eclipse about once every 18 months. So in that sense, it's not very rare. However, what is rare is having a solar eclipse where you are. If you want to just stand in one place and wait for an eclipse, on average, you'd be waiting about 350 years."

If you want to experience totality, by now, we have established that you have to place yourself somewhere along the path of totality. In April, the path of totality will cross North America, making it so that many states—including Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine—have a chance at witnessing the total solar eclipse in its entirety.

However, some states are better than others for the event, mainly due the actual duration of totality and weather forecasts. According to a handy chart by GreatAmericanEclipse.com, to experience a totality of over four minutes, there are a few locations in the US you can choose, including in or around Texas’ Eagle Pass, Uvalde, Kerrville, and Killeen; Poplar Bluff, Arkansas; Cape Girardeau, Missouri; and Carbondale, Illinois.

In terms of weather, Dr. Kirk advises you to stay away from the New York area, where chances of cloudiness are currently higher. The Farmer’s Almanac agrees—the further south and west you decide to locate yourself, the more likely you are to encounter clear skies on eclipse day. From Cleveland, Ohio up to Caribou, Maine, there’s a 70% of cloudy skies on eclipse day, while Texas’ Fort Worth, Waco, and Austin (as well as Mexico) only have a 40% chance of clouds.

With the total solar eclipse just a matter of days away, how is the weather shaping up against those predictions? As CNN is reporting, the current forecasts for cloud cover on eclipse day are practically opposite of what has been the historical norm for this time of year. As of this writing, the New England and Northeast region may be home to some of the most cloud-free skies along the path of totality, while a storm system could spell trouble for eclipse viewing in the Southern Plains and Mississippi Valley regions, including in parts of Texas. 

All this considered—totality length and chance of clouds—the Farmer's Almanac previously identified the below three cities as the top places to witness the total solar eclipse in the US:

We get it—for some space enthusiasts, watching the eclipse from a park isn’t enough. Luckily, there are plenty of events for you to join, should you be looking for something more interactive on the day of the eclipse.

Festival fans, for example, will be pleased to know that there are many music and culture festivals happening on April 8 to celebrate the big event. Texas Eclipse, for example, is one of them, and it brings together arts, culture, music, and astronomy. Those looking for something more out of the ordinary, instead, can try and head over to the Fredericksburg Hot Air Balloon Solar Eclipse Festival, which will allow guests to experience totality directly from the sky aboard a hot air balloon. Check out the roundup of all our favorite eclipse festivals right here.

If you’re looking for something more nature-oriented, national and state parks have your back as well. Many of them are hosting free public events on eclipse day, and you can check out which ones are on the path of totality as well as what events they are hosting right here.

If skies are clear in your location during the 2024 eclipse and you are on the path of totality, you will briefly see the moon fully obscure the sun in total darkness. You will also be able to observe the sun's corona (a.k.a. outer atmosphere) which we normally cannot see due to the sun's brightness. Even if it's a bit cloudy that day, you will see the sky darken significantly for at least a brief time.

Those outside of the path of totality will also be able to see a partial eclipse, where the moon will only partially block out the sun. The closer to the path of totality you are, the darker it will be.

As an extra treat, you should also know that the eclipse isn't the only celestial event to look forward to on April 8. If you get lucky, you could witness proper sun explosions (which aren't dangerous as they sound!) during the eclipse, and a few planets (including Jupiter, Venus, Mars, and Saturn ) will be visible during daytime once the sun is obscured by the moon.

Additionally, if you really luck out, you might be able to catch a glimpse of the Devil Comet during totality. Check out our dedicated guide to learn more about these extra celestial events on eclipse day.

To view the eclipse safely, you should only look at it through eclipse glasses or a solar viewer. The one exception to this safety guidance is when you are viewing the eclipse along the path of totality during the period of totality where the moon is fully blocking the sun.

For the best recommendations on what equipment and solar filters to use, we put together a handy guide on where to get safe and reliable eclipse glasses that you can check out ahead of the big celestial event.

The next total solar eclipse that will be viewable from the contiguous United States after the 2024 eclipse will not occur until August 23, 2044. Just think of how many seasons and spinoffs of RuPaul's Drag Race are likely to occur between now and then. You’ll want to see this one if you can!

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