By Kelly Maue
Grab your solar eclipse glasses. Soon, Earth, its moon, and the sun will put on a rare show and be in perfect alignment – for a few minutes, anyway.
On April 8th, North America will experience total darkness from Sinaloa, Mexico, to Newfoundland, Canada. Once again, the Midwest, including areas of Missouri and Illinois, will be in the path of totality! In our area, the eclipse begins around 12:40 CDT but check NASA’s website for details.
It’s being called “the Great North American Eclipse.” Although the last comparable eclipse was in 2017, another one of this importance won’t happen in the contiguous US for a while. Alaska will have its own show in 2033, and Montana and North Dakota will get a turn in 2044. However, the next coast-to-coast eclipse will not happen until 2045, when it will travel from Northern California to Cape Canaveral, Florida.
If you haven’t already, mark your calendar for Monday! The Great North American Eclipse starts in Texas at about 1:27 CDT and will trek over Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and finally, Maine. Tennessee and Michigan barely register on the route, making the official path.
Totality refers to when the moon blocks the sun 100%, and it’s estimated that 32 million people live in the path of totality. Areas outside this route will not see total darkness, but many cities will see a partial eclipse. Understandably, the closer you are to the path, the better the view – meaning, the smaller the sliver of remaining sun.
Although the St. Louis area is not in the path of totality, a short drive will get you there. If you’re in Missouri, head south to areas including Farmington, Ste. Genevieve, Poplar Bluff, or Cape Girardeau. If you’re in Illinois, cities like Evansville and Carbondale will see total darkness. But make your plans early; people travel from around the world to see this celestial spectacle.
The Great North American Eclipse will start as a partial eclipse and build its way up to totality. The times of darkness differ along the path. While in San Antonio, Texas, they can expect more than 4 minutes of total darkness, the experience will last about 2 minutes and 40 seconds in St. Genevieve, Missouri. Cloud cover is another factor that can change viewing conditions.
An interesting fact about this eclipse is that it will cross the path of the last total solar eclipse of August 2017. That precise point is in Makanda, Illinois, near Carbondale.
Although there has been much eclipse news in our region during recent years, it is really a breathtaking celestial wonder. Please don’t take it for granted. Turning day into darkness is something special.
