Monday is your last shot of witnessing a total solar eclipse in North America for 20 years. Fortunately, the path of totality in the U.S. crosses from the bottom of Texas all the way to the tip of Maine, giving many Americans a good chance of finding a place within a reasonable distance to skygaze.
Even those who find themselves in a location in the continental United States outside the eclipse’s direct path are likely to witness the stunning celestial event in some form. But when it comes to experiencing a total solar eclipse as rare and grandiose as the one days away, there’s no doubt about it: The path of totality is the place to be.
Here’s what to know about the 2024 total solar eclipse’s path of totality, including the times and durations when darkness is expected to fall.
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What is the path of totality?
Those in the direct line of the eclipse will be treated to an incredible sight as the moon completely blots out the sun’s disk, ushering in uncharacteristic darkness and revealing the sun’s elusive outermost layer called the corona. That moment is called “totality” and this year the path of totality crosses through 13 U.S. states. The last total solar eclipse to cut through North America was in 2017. But astronomers say there won’t be any comparison between that eclipse and the one coming Monday. For the 2024 eclipse, the corona will be brighter, the moon will appear larger and totality will last just a bit longer than it did seven years ago.
What U.S. cities and states are on the path of totality?
The 115-mile-wide eclipse will provide millions of spectators with a front row seat to its majesty as it passes through Mexico, the United States and Canada.
In the U.S., hundreds of cities and small towns fall directly on the path of totality. An estimated 31 million Americans already live on the path this year, compared to just 12 million in 2017, according to eclipse cartographer Michael Zeiler at GreatAmericanEclipse.com.
Here are some of the major cities in each of the 13 states:
Dallas and San Antonio, Texas
Idabel, Oklahoma
Poplar Bluff, Missouri
Little Rock, Arkansas
Paducah, Kentucky
Indianapolis and Evansville, Indiana
Carbondale, Illinois
Cleveland and Toledo, Ohio
Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse, New York
Burlington, Vermont
Lancaster, New Hampshire
Caribou, Maine
Erie, Pennsylvania