2024 Solar Eclipse Route and Times: Times and Magnitudes of the April 8 Partial Solar Eclipse in the United States

Excitement is building for one of nature’s most unique spectacles, the total solar eclipse, which will cast a historic shadow on a path across the United States on April 8, 2024.

The path of the Moon’s shadow across the Earth’s surface is called the path of totality, and to witness the April 8 total solar eclipse in its entirety, viewers must be within the 115-mile path of totality. broad.

But for anyone out of the way, eclipse day will still offer a celestial spectacle worth getting eclipse glasses for.

“The entire contiguous United States, Hawaii and Alaska will see at least a partial eclipse,” Michael Zeiler, a solar eclipse cartographer and founder of Greatamericaneclipse.com, told ABC News. “The closer you are to the path of totality, of course, the deeper the eclipse will be.”

To find out when to view the total solar eclipse or partial eclipse in off-trail locations in the US, check out NASA’s Eclipse Explorer tool.

A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth and, for a short time, completely blocks the face of the Sun, according to NASA.

A partial solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, but the celestial bodies are not completely aligned, according to the agency.

During a partial solar eclipse, the sun appears to be shaped like a crescent, according to NASA.

“The difference between a total solar eclipse and a partial one is literally night and day,” Zeiler said, adding that unless you are within the path of totality, the possibility of seeing the sun’s corona disappears.

“Even if you’re a little bit out of the path of totality, even if you’re in the 99% zone, sunlight is still 10,000 times brighter than the Sun’s corona,” Zeiler said. “So it’s impossible to see the corona unless you’re actually within the path of totality.”

“Enjoy the spectacle of the partial eclipse,” Zeiler said. “Because it’s still very interesting and brings you closer to the movements of the sun and the moon, to see the solar system in motion.”

Using Los Angeles, California, as an example, during the maximum of the partial solar eclipse, at 11:12 a.m. local time, 58% of the sun will be hidden by the moon.

“So it will be noticeably dimmer than normal, but not exceptionally so,” Zeiler said, adding, “In fact, you may not even realize that an eclipse is happening unless you pay attention to it.”

Below is a list of some American cities where the April 8 partial solar eclipse will be most visible (pending weather forecasts), the magnitude of the eclipse in those locations, and what time, locally, viewing of the partial eclipse will be greatest. , according to Space. .com.

The magnitude is the fraction of the diameter of the sun covered by the moon during the partial eclipse.

• Atlanta, Georgia: 3:04 p.m., magnitude 0.846

• Boston, Massachusetts: 3:29 p.m., magnitude 0.931

• Chicago, Illinois: 2:07 pm, magnitude 0.942

• Cincinnati, Ohio: 3:09 p.m., magnitude 0.993

• Denver, Colorado: 12:40 p.m., magnitude 0.715

• Helena, Montana: 12:40 p.m., magnitude 0.474

• Honolulu, Hawaii: 7:12 am, magnitude 0.286

• Houston, Texas: 1:40 p.m., magnitude 0.943

• Juneau, Alaska: 10:33 am, magnitude 0.064

• Los Angeles, California: 11:12 am, magnitude 0.58

• Miami, Florida: 3:01 pm, magnitude 0.556

• New Orleans, Louisiana: 1:49 p.m., magnitude 0.844

• New York City, New York: 3:25 p.m., magnitude 0.91

• Seattle, Washington: 11:29 am, magnitude 0.311

• St. Louis, Missouri: 2:00 pm, magnitude 0.988

• Tucson, Arizona: 11:19 am, magnitude 0.749

• Washington, DC: 3:20 pm, magnitude 0.89

“Eclipse Across America” ​​will air live on Monday, April 8 starting at 2 pm ET on ABC, ABC News Live, National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Disney+, Hulu and this station.

You can check out more coverage of the eclipse here.