Solar Eclipse 2024: When, Where, and How to Watch

In just a few short hours, those on Earth will experience a stellar solar eclipse, momentarily darkening the skies despite it being in the middle of the day. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and Sun, blocking out the majority of the star's light from reaching the planet. Although solar eclipses typically happen twice a year, the kind taking place on Monday, April 7th is the first of its kind since 1979 in that residents of the United States, Canada, and Mexico will all be in the path of totality at some point throughout the eclipse.

Totality happens when the Moon appears larger than the Sun, completely blocking out its rays and plunging the path into darkness. This takes place only on a narrow path on the Earth's surface, and locales typically find themselves in the path of totality just once every 150 years.

What is a solar eclipse?

In short, it's when the Moon passes in front of the Sun, blocking out much of the light it provides Earth.

"A total solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, completely blocking the face of the Sun," NASA says of the event. "People viewing the eclipse from locations where the Moon's shadow completely covers the Sun – known as the path of totality – will experience a total solar eclipse. The sky will darken, as if it were dawn or dusk. Weather permitting, people along the path of totality will see the Sun's corona, or outer atmosphere, which is usually obscured by the bright face of the Sun."

Where is the solar eclipses path of totality?

This time around, the totality path begins in Texas before passing through the lower Midwest and into New England.

The space agency adds, "Weather permitting, the first location in continental North America that will experience totality is Mexico's Pacific coast at around 11:07 a.m. PDT. The path of the eclipse continues from Mexico, entering the United States in Texas, and traveling through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. The eclipse will enter Canada in Southern Ontario, and continue through Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia. The eclipse will exit continental North America on the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland, Canada, at 5:16 p.m. NDT."

When will the solar eclipse take place?

According to NASA, the major cities in the path of totality—plus the time in which the eclipse should take place—are listed below:

• Dallas, Texas: 1:40-1:44 p.m. CDT
• Idabel, Oklahoma: 1:45-1:49 p.m. CDT
• Little Rock, Arkansas: 1:51-1:54 p.m. CDT
• Poplar Bluff, Missouri: 1:56-2:00 p.m. CDT
• Paducah, Kentucky: 2-2:02 p.m. CDT
• Carbondale, Illinois: 1:59-2:03 p.m. CDT
• Evansville, Indiana: 2:02-2:05 p.m. CDT
• Cleveland, Ohio: 3:13-3:17 p.m. EDT
• Erie, Pennsylvania: 3:16-3:20 p.m. EDT
• Buffalo, New York: 3:18-3:22 p.m. EDT
• Burlington, Vermont: 3:26-3:29 p.m. EDT
• Lancaster, New Hampshire: 3:27-3:30 p.m. EDT
• Caribou, Maine: 3:32-3:34 p.m. EDT

Even if you're not in the path of totality, you should still be able to at least see a partial eclipse no matter where you're at in North America. As always, NASA says you should not look directly at the eclipse, even if you've bought the solar glasses stores have been selling.