Depending on where people wishing to see the upcoming total solar eclipse go in the U.S., the period of totality will last between two and four and a half minutes, according to NASA calculations.
The total solar eclipse—when the sun is completely blocked by the moon—is set to occur on April 8 and will pass from northern Mexico across the Midwest and up into New England. It will be visible in 13 U.S. states as well as small areas of Tennessee and Michigan.
As with the last time such an event happened in the U.S., in 2017, many are expected to travel to ideal viewing spots, which has raised concerns about stretched public safety resources. The Federal Highway Administration says that while around 32 million people live in the path of the total eclipse, between 1 million and 5 million are expected to travel there to see it.
Because an eclipse is caused by the moon moving across the sun, in many places where this convergence will be visible there will be a partial eclipse—when the moon partially blocks the sun, giving it a crescent shape—for potentially around an hour and 40 minutes.
But the period in which the moon will totally obscure the sun will be far shorter, as the two celestial bodies have to line up perfectly for it to occur.
Just before the total eclipse occurs, what is known as "Baily's Beads" will be visible, when sunlight shines through the moon's valleys along its horizon. The eclipse will then enter the "diamond ring" phase, when only a single bright spot is visible along the halo.
Generally, areas closer to the center of the path of totality will see the eclipse longer, and those in the South are more likely to have a four-minute totality, NASA says. In the Northeast, the totality is expected to last no more than three minutes, NASA says.
Where Will Total Eclipse Last Longest?
According to NASA figures, places such as Idabel, Oklahoma, Poplar Bluff, Missouri, and Dallas are expected to see the totality for around four minutes. The totality will begin at 1:40 p.m. CT (2:40 p.m. ET) in Dallas, 1:45 p.m. in Idabel and 1:56 p.m. in Poplar Bluff.
Carbondale, Illinois, as well as Cleveland and Erie, Pennsylvania, are anticipated to see the totality for around three minutes. Carbondale's total eclipse will begin at 1:59 p.m. CT, Cleveland's at 3:13 p.m. ET and Erie's at 3:16 p.m.
Overall, Texas and Arkansas will have the largest areas within the path of totality, and the total eclipse will be visible for the longest there. It is not anticipated to be visible for more than four minutes farther northeast than the outskirts of Lynn, Indiana.
In many rural areas, the total eclipse will be visible, but smaller country roads could become overwhelmed by an influx of traffic.
Where Will the Total Eclipse Be Shortest?
As a general rule, the farther northeast along the path of totality, the shorter the total eclipse is likely to last. From Ohio to Maine, it is expected to last, at most, around three minutes, though some areas near the edge of the path of totality will see it for only one or two minutes.
In Burlington, Vermont, and Lancaster, New Hampshire, the total eclipse will last for approximately three minutes, while in Syracuse, New York, and Caribou, Maine, it will be visible for only around two minutes.
Why Is a Total Solar Eclipse So Special?
For the moon to completely block the sun, the two celestial bodies have to coincide in a very precise way that occurs only once every few years and is only visible across a certain part of the Earth.
Eclipses occur because the sun is about 400 times larger than the moon but is around 400 times farther away from Earth, which makes them look the same size in the sky.
But the moon's orbit is not a perfect circle, and so if this event occurs when the moon is toward its farthest point from the Earth, it will appear slightly smaller than the sun, creating an annular eclipse when the sun's "ring of fire" is still visible.
When a total eclipse occurs, it gives viewers the rare sight of the sun's corona, its outer atmosphere of hot gases that is usually obscured by the sun's rays.
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Aleks Phillips is a Newsweek U.S. News Reporter based in London. His focus is on U.S. politics and the environment. ... Read more
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