We're less than two weeks away from the astronomical event of the decade: A total eclipse of the sun, which will grace the nation's skies from Texas to Maine on the afternoon of Monday, April 8.
Millions of people are expected to travel to see the spectacle, which will also attract scientists from across the country to study its unique effects. (Meanwhile, brands such as Burger King, Pizza Hut, Applebee's and Sonic are getting in on the eclipse excitement too.)
The full total solar eclipse experience will plunge people along a narrow path into darkness midday, but people outside the path of totality can still use eclipse glasses to see the moon pass in front of the sun.
One task to do now is to get yourself a pair of special eclipse glasses, which will be required on eclipse day to block out the sun's harmful rays. Fortunately, solar eclipse glasses are still readily available from plenty of vendors across the internet as of Wednesday, March 27. See below for more details about eclipse glasses.
The other big factor everyone's anxiously awaiting is the weather forecast, which most experts say is still a bit far away for a specific or even general forecast, though that hasn't stopped some meteorologists from issuing them already. But more detailed, realistic forecasts will start to roll in over the next few days.
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There's plenty to know before the big day, which won't happen again for about two decades. Read on for answers for all your eclipse questions, including how to watch the eclipse, understand the eclipse and use eclipse glasses to stay safe.
There are a few ways of watching the eclipse:
The eclipse will begin in Texas at 1:27 p.m. CDT and end in Maine at 3:35 p.m. EDT, but the exact time of the eclipse varies by where you are in its path.
You can search by zip code to find the exact time for your location.
All of the lower 48 U.S. states will see the moon at least clip the sun, but that sight is a trifle compared to being in the path of totality.
Because the narrow path includes or is near some of the nation's largest cities, expect millions of people to crowd into a band of land a little over 100 miles wide that spans from the Texas/Mexico border to the Maine/Canada border.
Here are the major cities in each state where you can expect to experience totality (note that the included times do not account for when the partial eclipse begins and ends):
It's too soon to say for sure, but history offers some clues.
Chances of cloudy skies are pretty high along much of the eclipse's northern path, and some areas such as Buffalo have about a 1-in-3 chance of clear skies in early April.
Skies are usually more clear to the south. Right along the Texas/Mexico border, chances of a clear sky can be nearly 75%.
Keep in mind that clouds don't always ruin an eclipse. High, wispy clouds won't spoil the show in the same way that low thick clouds would. In that case, you wouldn't be able to see the moon pass in front of the sun, but you would still notice a sudden darkness in the path of totality.
Texas is considered the best state for eclipse viewing. There's a good chance the skies will be clear and its location along the southern path of the eclipse means totality will last a little longer.
A few lucky travelers will also have a front-row seat with unobstructed views — from a plane.
Most likely, yes — especially after the eclipse ends. Millions of people will crowd into the narrow path of totality, then many will attempt to leave all at once as soon as the eclipse is over.
When a total solar eclipse passed over the U.S. in 2017, reports say some traffic jams didn't fully clear for more than 12 hours. Even worse, a recent study reported that the 2017 eclipse "was associated with increased risks of a fatal traffic crash" – potentially as much as a 31% increase, the study said.
Also worth noting: The eclipse is expected to have impacts for air travel as well.
Primarily out of a concern for students' safety, schools across the country have given students the day of the eclipse, April 8, as a day off, a half day or a chance for e-learning. In Tennessee, for example, officials also say it gives students a chance to experience the eclipse with their family and friends.
A total solar eclipse happens when three celestial spheres — the sun, moon and Earth — line up in a specific way in space.
According to NASA, a solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the sun and Earth. That alignment casts a moving shadow on Earth that either fully or partially blocks the sun's light in some areas. This leads to a period of partial or full darkness on a narrow stretch of Earth.
The path is so narrow because of the huge distance and size of the sun — as well as the moon's distance from Earth. That focuses the moon's shadow on an area of land much smaller than the moon itself. The movement of the shadow across the land happens as the Earth's rotation interacts with the orbit of the moon.
A total eclipse only happens occasionally because the moon doesn't orbit in the exact same plane as the sun and Earth do. In addition, a solar eclipse can only happen during a new moon.
The total solar eclipse on April 8 is causing such a stir because the rare event is an astronomical experience like no other that will be unusually accessible to millions of people.
April's total solar eclipse will fall over more places in the U.S. than the total eclipse before and after it. And the broad length of the path of totality – where Americans have the best shot of getting a clear view – is "much wider" than it was for the eclipse in 2017, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
A total solar eclipse is also far more impressive than a lunar or an annular solar eclipse. During an annular eclipse, the moon covers the Sun but leaves an outside ring some call a "ring of fire" — it darkens the sky instead of plunging Earth into a night-like darkness, which is what happens during a total solar eclipse. And a lunar eclipse – the appearance of a red moon – happens when the moon passes into the Earth's shadow, according to NASA.
Total solar eclipses can have spiritual significance, too. Ancient cultures viewed as a sign of the gods' anger or impending departure. Some religions today are hosting eclipse viewings and services.
Historically, eclipses have left major marks on religious and spiritual civilizations. In Christianity, an eclipse has been associated with the darkness that accompanied Jesus' crucifixion and in Islam, the passing of the Prophet Muhammad's son Ibrahim.
The USA's most recent total solar eclipse was on August 21, 2017, and stretched from Oregon to South Carolina.
The next visible total solar eclipse to cross over the U.S. after April will come in more than two decades on Aug. 23, 2044, according to NASA.
And that eclipse won't be as accessible as the 2024 one: The path of totality in 2044 will only touch the states of Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota, according to the Planetary Society, a nonprofit involved in research, public outreach and political space advocacy. Another total eclipse will pass over the U.S. in 2045 that will be more accessible to Americans, including for people who live in California, Florida and Nevada.
Gazing at the bright rays from the eclipse without protective eyewear can seriouslt damage your eye, so wearing a pair of protective glasses is important.
There's a technical standard for eclipse glasses, which are designed to block out most light and let you safely see the moon pass in front of the sun: It's called ISO 12312-2 after the International Organization of Standardization.
While there's concerns that not all glasses marketed as eclipse glasses live up to that standard, experts say usually the shortcomings aren't significant.
But as the 2024 eclipse approaches, the American Astronomical Society has warned that there are some counterfeit and fake eclipse glasses being sold from unverified vendors that would be unsafe to use during the eclipse. They recommend buying from a vetted vendor and testing the glasses before the eclipse.
NASA shared an easy method to check eclipse glasses at home.
Buyers should put on their glasses and look at a bright light, like a flashlight. If the light is "extremely dim," or doesn't appear at all, the glasses are safe, Susannah Darling, of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, said in an instructional video. Viewers should be able to see the filament of the lightbulb, not the glow surrounding the bulb.
You could severely damage your eyes. Directly staring at the sun before and after the total eclipse, or watching a partial eclipse outside the path of totality without proper eye protection, can result in permanent damage including blurred and altered vision.
While rare, eye damage from watching a partial eclipse happens in part because a person's natural response to squint when looking at sunlight does not get triggered. In the lead-up to the April 8 solar eclipse, doctors and a rare set of eclipse watchers are warning about watching this planetary event without adequate eclipse glasses or with the naked eye.
It’s hard for experts to know or even estimate how many people experience eye damage from solar eclipses. Since looking at an eclipse does not cause complete blindness, people with permanent damage may not know they have it or report it to a doctor. The 2017 eclipse, which passed from Oregon to South Carolina, is thought to have caused about 100 cases, according to the American Astronomical Society.
If you don't have access to eclipse glasses do not use regular sunglasses — You need a more creative solution for safe viewing, like a pinhole projector.
Welding glasses, while a creative solution, are not recommended for eclipse viewing.
An eclipse itself isn't dangerous for domestic animals such as dogs and cats, but experts say it's probably best to not bring pets.
Experts' biggest concern is not what’s happening in the sky but on the ground as crowds of excited and anxious people gather, said Dr. Rena Carlson, president of the American Veterinary Medical Association.
“Rather than the effects of the eclipse, I would be more worried about the excitement and all of the people,” she said.
Contributing: Ramon Padilla, Karina Zaiets and Janet Loehrke