The U.S. will experience its first total solar eclipse in seven years on April 8, and it will pass over parts of Canada and Mexico as well.
The path of the total solar eclipse through North America.
A total solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between Earth and the sun and completely blocks the face of the sun, causing the sky to darken.
The path of totality (the places that will experience the entire eclipse) will only pass through Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine, though small regions in Michigan and Tennessee will be in the path as well, according to NASA.
However, all 48 states in the contiguous U.S. will witness the partial eclipse.
The time the eclipse occurs varies across each state as it moves through its path of totality. Here are the times of totality for some cities within its path:
These cities will also experience a partial eclipse before and after these times.
If you’re not in the path of totality, several institutions and organizations will hold livestreams of the event:
Here’s the eclipse’s path of totality.
The path of the total solar eclipse through North America.
NASA is providing an interactive eclipse tracker that allows users to track the eclipse in real time across states and countries.
There are four types of solar eclipses, and a total solar eclipse is the only kind where eclipse glasses can momentarily be removed. This moment is during the short period where the moon completely blocks the sun. However, at any other time of the eclipse, glasses are needed, according to NASA. This is because staring directly at the sun without protection can cause instant damage to the eyes. Safe solar viewing glasses—which are different from sunglasses—are required when viewing the eclipse before or after totality. These glasses are a thousand times darker than regular sunglasses, and provide protection against the sun’s rays. It’s also not recommended to look at the eclipse through a camera, phone camera, telescope or binoculars while wearing the eclipse glasses because the rays can burn through the glasses’ filter since they’re extremely concentrated when viewed through these devices. These devices required a special-purpose solar filter placed over the lens for safe viewing.
Though several retailers like Amazon, Lowes and Walmart are selling glasses, several places are giving them away for free: