In the U.S., 31 million people already live on the complete path.
Scroll down to see a list of US cities where the April 8th total solar eclipse will be visible, the duration of the eclipse in those locations, and what time totality begins. GreatAmericanEclipse.com.
On April 8, 2024, a historic total solar eclipse will cast a shadow over parts of the United States, triggering a mass travel event from Texas to Maine and many states and cities in between.
A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, and briefly blocks the face of the Sun. According to NASA.
The path of the moon's shadow across Earth's surface is called the path of totality, and to see the April 8 total solar eclipse, viewers must be within the 115-mile-wide path.
Eclipse Journey
In the U.S., 31 million people already live in the path of totality, bringing the celestial event to their doorstep, expert solar eclipse cartographer Michael Zeiler of GreatAmericanEclipse.com told ABC News.
But for off-trail individuals, investing time and money is necessary to fully experience the event.
Eclipse chasers, or umbrellas, are people who will do almost anything and travel almost anywhere to see perfection. American Astronomical Society.
“There's a very active community of solar eclipse chasers, and we'll go any reasonable distance to see solar eclipses anywhere in the world,” Zeiler said. “We are all united in our pursuit of the unimaginable beauty of a total solar eclipse.”
Bringing together both eclipse experts and novice sky watchers, the April 8 total solar eclipse is predicted to be the largest mass travel event in the US in 2024, which he compared to “50 simultaneous Super Bowls across the country.”
“Looking at the number of people expected to line the path of totality for the solar eclipse, we estimate that those numbers are the equivalent of 50 Super Bowls across the country from Texas to Maine at the same time,” he said.
Eclipse Chart, Path of Totality
In the United States, the path of totality begins in Texas and travels through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. According to NASA, small parts of Tennessee and Michigan will also experience a total solar eclipse.
Best times and places to view the eclipse
According to GreatAmericanEclipse.com, below is a list of some U.S. cities where a total solar eclipse will be visible on April 8 — pending weather forecasts — along with the duration of the eclipse at those locations and what time totality will begin.