Total Solar Eclipse of 2k17!

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On Aug. 21, 2017, people across the United States will see the sun disappear behind the moon, turning daylight into twilight, causing the temperature drop rapidly and revealing massive streamers of light streaking through the sky around the silhouette of the moon. On that day, America will fall under the path of a total solar eclipse.

The so-called Great American Total Solar Eclipse will darken skies all the way from Oregon to South Carolina, along a stretch of land about 70 miles (113 kilometers) wide. People who descend upon this "path of totality" for the big event are in for an unforgettable experience.



Who Can See It?

Lots of people! Everyone in the contiguous United States, in fact, everyone in North America plus parts of South America, Africa, and Europe will see at least a partial solar eclipse, while the thin path of totality will pass through portions of 14 states.  
Image Credit: NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio


What is It?

This celestial event is a solar eclipse in which the moon passes between the sun and Earth and blocks all or part of the sun for up to about three hours, from beginning to end, as viewed from a given location.  For this eclipse, the longest period when the moon completely blocks the sun from any given location along the path will be about two minutes and 40 seconds.  The last time the contiguous U.S. saw a total eclipse was in 1979.
Diagram showing the Earth-sun-moon geometry of a total solar eclipse. Not to scale: If drawn to scale, the Moon would be 30 Earth diameters away. The sun would be 400 times that distance.

REMEMBER: Looking directly at the sun, even when it is partially covered by the moon, can cause serious eye damage or blindness. NEVER look at a partial solar eclipse without proper eye protection . See our complete guide to find out how to view the eclipse safely.

The chart below lists the moment of mid-totality and the duration of totality for a handful of cities that lie close to the center of the path. Data from NASA.
 Eclipse BeginsTotality BeginsTotality EndsEclipse Ends 
Madras, OR09:06 a.m.10:19 a.m.10:21 a.m.11:41 a.m.PDT
Idaho Falls, ID10:15 a.m.11:33 a.m.11:34 a.m.12:58 p.m.MDT
Casper, WY10:22 a.m.11:42 a.m.11:45 a.m.01:09 p.m.MDT
Lincoln, NE11:37 a.m.01:02 p.m.01:04 p.m.02:29 p.m.CDT
Jefferson City, MO11:46 a.m.01:13 p.m.01:15 p.m.02:41 p.m.CDT
Carbondale, IL11:52 a.m.01:20 p.m.01:22 p.m.02:47 p.m.CDT
Paducah, KY11:54 a.m.01:22 p.m.01:24 p.m.02:49 p.m.CDT
Nashville, TN11:58 a.m.01:27 p.m.01:29 p.m.02:54 p.m.CDT
Clayton, GA01:06 p.m.02:35 p.m.02:38 p.m.04:01 p.m.EDT
Columbia, SC01:03 p.m.02:41 p.m.02:44 p.m.04:06 p.m.EDT
Because the shadow of the moon will move from west to east, totality will occur later in the day the farther east you travel. Use the NASA interactive eclipse map to find out exactly when totality will occur and how long it will last in the location where you plan to observe the eclipse. Just click on a spot on the map, and an informational box will appear with specific times.


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