2024 Solar Eclipse: Live Updates
by 
The AP’s live coverage of the eclipse has ended, but there’s plenty to catch up on. See what you missed below and read the latest updates.
A total solar eclipse crossed North America on Monday, slicing a diagonal line from the southwest to the northeast, briefly plunging communities in Mexico, the U.S. and Canada along the track into darkness.
Here’s what to know:
When’s the next total solar eclipse?
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Full solar eclipses occur every year or two or three, but they are often in places where almost no one can see them — over the Pacific Ocean or Antarctica.
The next total solar eclipse, in 2026, will grace the northern fringes of Greenland, Iceland and Spain. Another sweeps across northern Africa in 2027.
North America won’t experience totality again until 2033, but only in Alaska. That’s it until 2044, when totality will be confined to western Canada, Montana and North Dakota.
The next big one for the U.S. is in 2045. That one will stretch from Northern California all the way to Cape Canaveral, Florida.
WATCH: NASA astrophysicist reacts to the total solar eclipse
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NASA astrophysicist Anjali Tripathi shares what we can learn about the solar system during the total solar eclipse.
Here’s how zoo animals reacted to the total solar eclipse
By JAMIE STENGLE
A researcher observing animals at the Fort Worth Zoo during totality said some seemed extra vigilant.
That included a rambunctious young male gorilla that stood on a pole while being quite active.
Most animals remained relatively calm during totality and many moved to where they are put away for the evening.
“In general, everybody was really well adjusted. Nobody was doing sort of bonkers behavior,” said Adam Hartstone-Rose, a researcher from North Carolina State University who came with a team to Texas for the eclipse.
He said in past eclipses, giraffes galloped. This time, the giraffes gathered more, but weren’t stressed out.
What should I do with my eclipse glasses now?
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Eye safety experts say you can reuse eclipse glasses for another solar spectacle as long as they aren’t warped and don’t have scratches or holes.
Legitimate glasses should block out ultraviolet light from the sun and nearly all visible light.
Eye damage can occur without proper protection. Symptoms of solar eye damage, called solar retinopathy, include blurred vision and color distortion.
After the eclipse comes the traffic
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Traffic is slow in some places that experienced today’s total solar eclipse.
Interstate 65 in southern Indiana is moving very slowly as people make their way back from eclipse viewing.
Meanwhile, traffic near Paducah, Kentucky, came to a crawl as thousands of people crossed the Ohio River. Drivers going eastbound on I-24 were traveling at speeds of 15 mph or less just after 4 p.m. EDT.
The story is similar in upstate New York, Vermont and New Hampshire. Interstates 87, 89 91 and 93 all have slowdowns in their southbound lanes.
IN PHOTOS: Total solar eclipse sweeps across North America
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
▶ See the AP’s total eclipse photo gallery.
Rewatch the eclipse cross over North America
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Appreciating a partial eclipse on the Mississippi River
By MICHAEL PHILLIS
ST. LOUIS – Aboard the Tom Sawyer, an old-fashioned paddlewheel riverboat on the Mississippi River, a crew member announced that the height of the eclipse was just minutes away.
The crowd quieted; some adjusted their solar eclipse glasses. Everyone looked up.
Just after 2 p.m., they saw an eclipse that wasn’t quite total.
The sky darkened and looked like dusk. The arch of the sun slimmed and shifted, but never fully vanished.
“It was beautiful. I almost think I enjoyed it a little bit more because it didn’t go black,” said Jeff Smith, 60, of St. Louis. “You could see the ring move all the way around the entire time.”
Eclipse brings out deep emotions
By NICK PERRY
COLEBROOK, New Hampshire – Holly Randall said experiencing the eclipse had been beyond her expectations.
“I didn’t expect to cry when I saw it,” she said, as tears ran down her face.
It had made her think about fundamental aspects of the universe.
“The power of the sun, and life,” she said. “And us, humankind, here on this planet, and how grateful we can be to have this energy source.”
Crowds along Mazatlán’s waterfront celebrate after totality
By ALEXIS TRIBOULARD
MAZATLAN, Mexico — After totality passed and the sky brightened again, crowds gathered along the waterfront hugged and kissed.
Joan Albert and his wife Ana Carolina Ruiz Fernández, marine scientists who lived and worked in the city, embraced each other.
“There wouldn’t be life if it weren’t for the sun,” Albert said.
Totality was “spectacular, very emotional,” added Ruiz Fernández.
Clouds blanket downtown Philadelphia at moment of maximum coverage
By ISABELLA O’MALLEY
PHILADELPHIA – Clouds blanketed the skies around 3:23 p.m. when maximum solar coverage was meant to begin in Philadelphia.
But Spencer Symula was all smiles.
“Obviously I am a little disappointed, but you see all the people out here and think, you know, it’s really something special,” he said. He was viewing the eclipse with people from the United Kingdom and Latin America.
“I think post-COVID we are all so eager to get together and do stuff,” said Symula. “I’m really happy I got to do this.”
Symula came prepared with a camera and said he got some good shots of the partial eclipse earlier before the clouds moved in.
About a half-hour later, the clouds shifted and the partial eclipse was again viewable.
Teacher pleased by celebration of astronomy
By CHRISTINA LARSON
WASHINGTON – A cheer went up from a crowd of a few thousand onlookers on the National Mall as the eclipse reached its maximum extent – about 87% – in the nation’s capital.
Through eclipse glasses, only a sliver of the sun remained visible behind the moon.
“This is a great event for students and a great celebration of astronomy,” said Denise Wright, an astronomy teacher from Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Crispin Burke, of Washington, D.C., added, “I really enjoyed seeing a partial eclipse, but it really makes you want to see totality.”
Total solar eclipse exits North America
The sun is reappearing from behind the moon as the total solar eclipse leaves North America.
There won’t be another coast-to-coast spectacle on the continent until 2045.
Jupiter and Venus visible during totality
VIENNA, Illinois – Hundreds of people at Shawnee National Forest erupted into cheers as darkness fell over a campground.
Temperatures dropped several degrees. Birds chirped and frogs croaked. And planets including Jupiter and Venus were visible during the
more than 3 minutes of totality.
Thick clouds cleared out late morning and mostly sunny skies turned to dusk during the eclipse. Rangers passed out eclipse glasses to
visitors.
Thousands of people watched the eclipse from this area in southern Illinois.
Cleveland visitor feels the chill
By STEPHANIE NANO
CLEVELAND – Kindergarten teacher Tara Rossetti can’t wait to get back to her students in Palm Bay, Florida, to tell them about the eclipse.
She and her friends joined the throngs outside the Great Lakes Science Center to see the eclipse under hazy skies. She’s going to tell them: “How cool it was. Literally, it got cooler!”
Next up for Rosetti and her friends: the Cleveland Guardian’s first home game of the season.
Aaron Pratt also traveled to Cleveland to see his second eclipse – he saw the 2017 eclipse in South Carolina.
“It got really dark, really fast,” said Pratt, who lives in the Washington area. “I’m blown away!”
Jeers, then cheers in Washington
WASHINGTON – Hundreds of White House staffers and security personnel watched the eclipse from around the complex, including some staffers catching a glimpse of the partial eclipse from the roof of the executive mansion.
Some jeers and boos could be heard when clouds briefly obscured the partial eclipse, but cheers erupted when the sky cleared up enough to see it.
President Joe Biden was seen holding eclipse glasses in his hand as he boarded Air Force One in Madison, Wisconsin, where he was traveling Monday, though it was not clear if he took it in.
Golfers watch the show at Augusta National
By DAVID SKRETTA
AUGUSTA, Georgia – Golfers at Augusta National got a pretty good show of the solar eclipse on Monday.
Georgia was not in the path of totality, but the sun was shining brightly and there was nary a cloud in the sky during practice rounds for the Masters – ideal conditions to watch the moon cast at least part of the course in shadow.
“This is timing up pretty good,” said British Open champion Brian Harman, who was playing the back nine during the height of the eclipse. “Get to watch the end of the world at Augusta National.”
Tournament organizers handed out eclipse glasses to patrons. The shades even carried the Masters logo, making for a unique souvenir.
“I was talking to my daughter and you can make one out of cereal box,” said Luke List, who practiced early and was planning to watch the eclipse elsewhere with his family. “So she’ll probably use that over the cool Masters glasses.”
A small moment for the universe, but monumental for one viewer
LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas – Crowds on the balcony of the Clinton presidential library and in the surrounding park cheered and clapped as the eclipse reached totality.
The visitors included Denise Taylor, who traveled from Denver with her sister to see the eclipse at the library. Taylor, who works for the town of Bennett, said the library was the eighth presidential library she’s visited.
“It’s so surreal and now the day is going on like nothing happened,” Taylor said. “In the universe, this was such a small thing. To me, it was monumental.”
Taylor said the eclipse was even more special since it combined with her love of presidential libraries.
“I totally get how people can become eclipse chasers,” she said.
WATCH: Gorillas react to totality at the Fort Worth Zoo
By JAMIE STENGLE
Watch Gorillas react to totality at the Fort Worth Zoo. CREDIT: (AP Video/Jamie Stengle)
Clouds part just in time near Austin, Texas
By ACACIA CORONADO
GEORGETOWN, Texas – “I will never unsee this,” said Ahmed Husseim of Austin, who had the eclipse on his calendar for a year.
Husseim and his family were among hundreds who gathered on the lawn of Southwestern University, north of the Texas capital city of Austin, with blankets, lawn chairs and country music to experience the total eclipse.
Fears of missing the astronomical event were put to rest when skies cleared moments before totality and remained cloudless until the eclipse continued on its path.
“It was unreal, taking off the glasses and not sure what to expect but when you look at it, it was like out of a movie,” said Michael Islas, a junior at the university.
‘What a sight’ in Texas
By MARCIA DUNN
MESQUITE, Texas – Just east of Dallas, the hundreds gathered at Mesquite’s Front Street Station cheered and whistled as the clouds parted in the final minutes before totality.
As the sun finally became cloaked, the crowd grew louder. They whipped off their eclipse glasses to soak in the unforgettable view of the sun’s corona, or spiky outer atmosphere, and Venus shining brilliantly off to the right.
DJ Jesse Navarette turned off his eclipse-themed music as the big moment approached.
“Wow, what a sight to witness, you all,” he told the crowd.
Aiyana Brown, 14, watched alongside her grandfather, Mesquite Mayor Daniel Aleman Jr.
“Oh God, it’s so dark,” Aiyana marveled.
Dallas students elated by eclipse
By ADITHI RAMAKRISHNAN
DALLAS – Emergency lights clicked on outside D.A. Hulcy Middle School as the last sliver of the sun disappeared. Students cheered and whooped, sitting on towels and picnic blankets in an adjacent parking lot.
“I’m a new person,” eighth grader Nia Modkins said.
Students and teachers took off their eclipse glasses and pointed at the sky, taking pictures and videos. Once three minutes elapsed, their teachers told them to put their eclipse glasses back on as the sun prepared for its return act.
Once daylight swept over the parking lot again, eighth grader Sky Johnson swiped through her phone, looking for the video she’d taken during totality.
“Two minutes of me screaming, literally,” she said.
Indianapolis resident experiences eclipse with help of Braille device
By TOM MURPHY
INDIANAPOLIS – Fallon Vahani moved her fingertips over a Braille tablet reader as the moon passed slowly in front of the sun.
The 44-year-old Indianapolis resident, blind from birth, visited the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to try the tablets after listening to a radio broadcast of the 2017 eclipse.
She stood at a table in a race car garage with her hands on the tablet, as thousands of people outside stared at the sky. Small plastic bumps pulsed underneath her fingers, tracing the moon’s path.
“I was very excited when I could finally understand what everyone else was talking about,” she said.
WATCH: Day turns to night during the total solar eclipse
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
A total solar eclipse has reached North America over Mexico as throngs gather along the country’s Pacific coast. Watch with onlookers in Mazatlan, Mexico.
Spectators luck out near Austin, Texas, as clouds part
By ACACIA CORONADO
GEORGETOWN, Texas — Hundreds of people gathered on the Southwestern University lawn cheered when the skies cleared just in time to give spectators a clear view of totality.
“We are really lucky,” said resident Susan Robertson. “Even with the clouds, it is kind of nice because when it clears up, it is like wow.”
Feeling a sense of community in Indiana
SCOTTSBURG, Indiana – Colby Reed and his partner Adam Johnston consulted a NASA map before driving hours to this small city.
“It was the closest place for totality coming from Nashville,” said Reed, 27, sitting with Johnston as the moon started its slow trek in front of the sun.
Looking around them at the relatively sparse crowd, they said they’re glad they wound up here because they could feel a sense of community.
Reed said he’s glad totality cut through this region, quipping, “It’s middle America’s chance to shine.”
Johnston cut in, looking up at the sky as a sliver of moon covered the sun: “…And then not shine.”
Seizing a chance to see a spectacle at age 76
By NICK PERRY
COLEBROOK, N.H. – Don Hall and his daughter, Casey, left from New York’s Hudson Valley at 3:30 a.m. and headed to northern New Hampshire based on the clear skies promised in weather reports.
They weren’t disappointed as they arrived to sunny skies and one of the warmest days of the year in New England.
Don Hall said he loved taking road trips with Casey.
“I’m as excited about seeing the eclipse as I am being able to spend time with my daughter,” he said.
He said he’d never seen an eclipse.
“I’m 76, so it’s time,” he said. “I doubt I’ll have another opportunity.”
Total solar eclipse reaches U.S. on way to Canada
The moon’s shadow has moved into the U.S. with cloudy skies in store for a part of the total eclipse path from Texas to Maine.
The eclipse cuts through major cities including Dallas; Austin, Texas; Indianapolis; Cleveland; and Niagara Falls, New York.
Air and Space Museum lets viewers see sun up close, safely
By CHRISTINA LARSON
WASHINGTON – A few dozen people are waiting in line on the National Mall to stare straight at the sun through a special telescope provided by the National Air and Space Museum.
The instrument – a safe Hydrogen-alpha light telescope – makes it possible to closely scrutinize the glowing orb and see the loops of cooler, denser gas that arise from the sun’s surface, called “prominences.”
“Oh wow,” says Kayla Pate from Hyattsville, Maryland, once she and her 4-year-old daughter, Amallah Lewis, made it to the front of the line to peer through the lens.
“We won’t see a total eclipse here, but we can still learn a lot,” said Pate, smiling at her daughter. “I really hope she’ll remember this.”
Planning for eclipse began more than a year ago in Oklahoma
BROKEN BOW, Oklahoma – The state’s secretary of tourism, is watching the eclipse from a lodge at Beavers Bend State Park in far southeast Oklahoma, which is in the path of the total eclipse.
Shelley Zumwalt said state officials began planning for the eclipse more than a year ago and brought in extra police and park rangers to McCurtain County, the population of which is expected to double due to visitors to the area.
“It’s really cool to see people lined up to experience something in nature,” Zumwalt said.
Zumwalt said visitors were hopeful cloud cover would burn off in time for the eclipse.
“We’re crossing our fingers and hoping,” she said. “Either way, it’s going to be dark for four minutes.”
COVID derails travel plans to totality path
By MICHAEL PHILLIS
ST. LOUIS — Colleen Devine and her husband planned to drive from their home in the suburbs of Chicago to Carbondale, Illinois, to watch the total eclipse.
But COVID-19 upended travel plans. “I didn’t want to deal with the traffic and the crowds,” Devine said.
Devine has recovered, but instead of heading south, the couple walked across the street from their hotel to the lawn near the Gateway Arch. Under a mostly blue sky, they’ll witness a nearly full eclipse.
“It won’t totally be in the path of totality but close enough,” she said.
Beaches grow dark in Mexico
By ALEXIS TRIBOULARD
MAZATLAN, Mexico – Mazatlan’s sparkling beaches have been cast into darkness as the total solar eclipse reaches its maximum coverage.
Hundreds of gathered faces were illuminated only by the screens of their cell phones as they tried to capture the slightly more than 4 minutes of totality.
Palm trees were silhouetted against a faint glow near the horizon like one of the resort’s famous sunsets, but coming before noon.
Karen Ibarra, of Colombia, is a researcher at Mexico’s National Autonomous University. She came to Mazatlan for the eclipse.
As darkness blanketed the coast she said, “seeing the corona is the best.”
In Philadelphia, ‘sharing an experience with humanity’
By ISABELLA O’MALLEY
PHILADELPHIA – Harris Pham, 27, rearranged his work schedule and traveled from suburban Lansdale to view the eclipse at the steps of the Franklin Institute, a science museum.
“I could have easily saw it, like, at the park. But I think just being with the community … it feels like you’re sharing an experience with humanity,” Pham said.
Hundreds gathered outside of the museum that was hosting a free viewing party.
Philadelphia is expected to see at least 85% totality as the moon passes over the sun. The Erie area, which is at the opposite corner of Pennsylvania, was awaiting a peek at totality.
Seizing the day in Indiana
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
RUSHVILLE, Indiana – The crowd briefly hushed as the eclipse began in Riverside Park in Rushville.
One spectator shouted: “This is the last time I’ll see this in my lifetime!”
Cars parked nearby in this small town of approximately 6,000 people are from Ohio, Virginia, Wisconsin, Florida, North Carolina, Kentucky, New York and Michigan.
Rushville is in the path of totality and is expected to get about 4 minutes of darkness during the full eclipse.
IN PHOTOS: Solar eclipse reaches totality over Mexico
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Anticipation after a science lesson
By ADITHI RAMAKRISHNAN
DALLAS – Mia Baker, an eighth-grader at D. A. Hulcy Middle School, rolled a white knob of clay into a ball and attached it to a wooden stick. When her teacher, Tamara Thomas, turned off the lights, she and her classmates held up their “moons” and tried to cover the “sun”: a yellow lantern dangling from the ceiling.
Over the course of the day, students participated in a variety of eclipse-themed lessons. They drew timelines to explore the history of solar eclipses and colored in the spectacle’s path on cardstock.
When Baker held up her clay moon to model the eclipse, she was reminded of the phases of the moon, which she’d recently reviewed in science class.
“But it’s going to look better in person,” she said. “I’m ready to see it.”
Total solar eclipse makes landfall in North America over Mexico
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
A total solar eclipse has reached North America over Mexico as throngs gather along the country’s Pacific coast. It’ll race toward United States and eastern Canada before exiting into the Atlantic.
Texas city officials cheer peeks of sun
By MARCIA DUNN
MESQUITE, Texas – City officials cheered as the thick clouds parted in early afternoon and the sun peeked out.
“We special ordered the sun this morning,” said downtown development manager Beverly Abell.
Hundreds gathered at Front Street Station for the outdoor watch party, many pulling out their eclipse glasses to watch the moon’s bite out of the sun grow ever bigger.
Heads tilted upward as DJ music blared from speakers, everyone hoping the sky would clear even more before darkness hit.
Spectators gather on National Mall
By CHRISTINA LARSON
WASHINGTON – Janice Nozka and her three children – ages 11, 7, and 3 – picked up their eclipse glasses from a table outside the National Air and Space Museum on the National Mall.
“This is a really special day, and I know it’s not going to happen again while all my children are still at home,” said Nozka, who is from Burke, Virginia.
She brought her children here to experience the partial eclipse together as a family this afternoon, after spending the morning at the space museum.
“I’m very excited, I’ve never seen anything like a solar eclipse before,” said Alina, 11, smiling broadly as she unfolded her new glasses.
The district has a chance at seeing more than 87% of the sun covered later this afternoon.
IN PHOTOS: Crowds gather awaiting eclipse across North America
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kentucky 8-year-old says it’s her first eclipse
By REBECCA REYNOLDS
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky – Jadiee Cesin, 8, and her family were among those set up with blankets and chairs at Waterfront Park under mostly sunny skies in downtown Louisville.
Kentucky’s largest city wasn’t in the path of totality but was in line to see 99 percent of the sun covered by the moon.
Jadiee said she learned about the eclipse in school and was hoping to get a good view at the park.
“It’s my first time,” she said about seeing an eclipse.
Meanwhile, a science-themed street fair in downtown Paducah, which was also in the path of the 2017 total eclipse, offered people a place to gather and see totality that lasted more than 90 seconds.
Clouds clear in Illinois
VIENNA, Illinois – At the Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois, thick clouds cleared late this morning as dozens of people gathered
at the Hidden Springs Ranger Station.
The national forest is in the path of totality and will experience just over four minutes of darkness.
Thousands of people are expected to watch the eclipse from this area, a park official said.
Cheers in Mexico as moon begins passing over sun
By ALEXIS TRIBOULARD
MAZATLAN, Mexico – Cheers broke out along the beach in this resort city as the moon began to pass over the sun.
Hundreds in a beachside park had passed the waiting time by readying their equipment and listening to a youth orchestra play Star Wars songs while a large screen projected images of Princess Leia behind them.
Luz Elena Aguillón de la O sat in the grass with a group of 14 family and friends who had gathered from Mexico City, Guanajuato and right here in Mazatlan to take in the spectacle.
“Happy to be here with family, friends sharing a singular, unrepeatable event that the universe and nature give us,” she said.
It’ll still be phenomenal if it’s cloudy, one spectator says
By ACACIA CORONADO
GEORGETOWN, Texas – Tracy Bedell, from Katy, Texas, and Terri Pagani, from Atlanta, arrived in Georgetown yesterday after a year of planning their path to totality.
Relaxing on a lawn at Southwestern University, Bedell said she saw a total eclipse in 2017 and was determined to catch the next one. They began researching cities and hotel availability in June.
“It is still going to get dark,” Bedell said as she looked up at the shifting clouds. “It is still going to be phenomenal.”
University students were enjoying a day without classes as heavy clouds took turns with the sun.
“If it rains, it rains,” said Chloe Mayfield, a Southwestern senior. “Rain or shine, baby we are out here.”
For one parent, the eclipse is ‘a better education than being in the classroom’
By JONATHAN FAHEY
ST. JOHNSBURY, Vermont – Pratik Koirala, a microbiology researcher from Brighton, Massachusetts, was in college in Kansas during the 2017 eclipse, but it was cloudy.
“I saw the darkness, but not the sun,” he said. “Now I want to see the sun.”
He and several relatives drove more than two hours to a grassy bank along the Passumpsic River in this town of about 7,000. He’s got a good chance — the sky is cloudless.
Sassee Niraula, a nurse and Koirala’s wife, was in Nepal in 2009 when an eclipse created 7 minutes of totality. Niraula, now 30, says she was too young then to fully appreciate it, so she’s back.
Nirmal Nepal, Koirala’s uncle, and Nepal’s wife, Sassee, took their two sons, ages 15 and 12, out of school for the day.
“It’s a better education than being in the classroom,” said Nirmal Nepal, of Needham, Massachusetts.
Pair of friends expect to be amazed in Arkansas
LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas – Rose Hopper and Karen Thomas are among the visitors who grabbed spots in the park outside the Clinton presidential library to view the eclipse.
The friends traveled more than four hours from central Mississippi and decided to watch the eclipse at the city park outside the museum.
“It’s one thing to see it on TV. It’s a whole other thing to see God’s glory like that,” Hopper said. “I think it’s going to be spectacular.”
The two remained hopeful that the mostly clear sky would hold up.
“I’m just going to expect the best and see the whole thing,” Thomas said.
Eclipse festival canceled because of possible severe weather
By PAUL WEBER
BURNET, Texas – The forecast in Texas is doing more than spoiling views of the eclipse.
One festival outside Austin wrapped up early Monday because of possible severe afternoon weather.
The Texas Eclipse Festival in Burnet urged attendees to pack up and leave early for safety and beat traffic.
Organizers canceled performances as well as inbound shuttles to the festival grounds.
The National Weather Service said severe weather could include hail, lightning and isolated tornadoes.
Biden encourages Americans to wear eye protection
WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden posted a brief video on X to encourage Americans to wear eye protection when viewing the eclipse – in a subtle dig at his predecessor and 2024 rival, former President Donald Trump.
“Folks, enjoy the eclipse, but play it safe, don’t be silly,” Biden said in a video showing him donning eclipse glasses and looking skyward from the balcony outside the Blue Room of the White House.
That’s the spot where Trump glanced up toward the sun without eye protection in 2017.
Biden is traveling to Wisconsin, which, like Washington, will experience a partial eclipse on Monday.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said she had no details to share on whether Biden would view the phenomenon.
Total solar eclipse begins in the Pacific
The moon lines up perfectly between the Earth and the sun in a total eclipse over the South Pacific.
Over the next few hours, it will sweep across North America, entering Mexico, cutting diagonally from Texas to Maine, before exiting over eastern Canada into the Atlantic.
In Cleveland: The sun, the moon and sports stars
By TOM WITHERS, STEPHANIE NANO
CLEVELAND – The alignment of earth, sun and moon above Cleveland came one day after a big star departed the city.
Caitlin Clark, the Iowa All-American guard and scoring sensation, ended her college career on Sunday in Cleveland in a loss to South Carolina in the NCAA championship game.
As basketball fans left Cleveland, sun chasers came in droves to witness the total solar eclipse.
There were also plenty of baseball fans flooding downtown: The Cleveland Guardians play their home opener two hours after the eclipse.
Michelle Samarin and Warren Root planned a doubleheader, the eclipse and then the Guardians game.
“We stay home constantly, so it’s nice to get out,” Root said.
A comet during the eclipse?
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
When the sky is dark, you may be able to spot four planets and a comet, if you’re lucky.
Jupiter will be to the left of the sun and Venus to the right. Saturn and Mars will be to the right of Venus, but fainter. The solar system’s three other planets will be in the vicinity, but virtually impossible to see with the naked eye.
Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks is swinging past Earth, as it does every 71 years. Still faint, it will be positioned near Jupiter during the eclipse.
Newfoundland town has a historic connection to a 1766 eclipse
BURGEO, Newfoundland – Residents of a small fishing community along the south coast of Newfoundland, Canada, are celebrating their unique place in solar eclipse history.
Michael Ward, the town clerk manager for Burgeo, says British cartographer Capt. James Cook experienced a partial eclipse in 1766 on a small island nearby. Cook was so taken with the experience, he named the isle Eclipse Island, Ward said.
The town of about 1,175 people will unveil a solar-powered beacon on the island. Music and dance are also planned.
“I’ve got 490 pairs of eclipse glasses, and I’m hoping that by the end of the day, I’ve got none,” he said.
Newfoundland is the last spot in North America where people will be able to view the total eclipse.
Families plan to watch animal behavior at Texas zoo
By JAMIE STENGLE
FORT WORTH, Texas – Families are streaming into the Fort Worth Zoo, ready to experience totality along with the animals.
Rachel Slaughter, 34, made a two-hour drive from her home in Wichita Falls with her three children – ages 10, 6 and almost 2 – so they could experience totality.
“We want to see how the animals react in the eclipse,” she said. “Do they do anything different? We want to know.”
Researchers from North Carolina State University are at the zoo to watch the animals’ reactions. During an eclipse, many animals display behaviors connected with an early dusk, scientists say.
Kids arriving at the zoo can grab sheets so that they can share record their observations as well.
And others plan to watch totality from space
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
The International Space Station’s astronauts will have three chances to catch the eclipse, according to NASA.
After two opportunities above the Pacific, the station will pass over Maine and New Brunswick, Canada, near the time of totality, providing the crew’s best view of the moon’s shadow racing across the continent.
Like everyone 270 miles (435 kilometers) below, the four U.S. and three Russian astronauts are hoping for clear skies.
Some are planning to see totality from the skies
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Some eclipse chasers are taking to the skies to soak in the spectacle.
Southwest and Delta have offered flights that will fly along or near the eclipse path. A special Delta flight from Austin to Detroit quickly sold out, prompting the airline to add another from Dallas.
Crossroad cities of 2017 and 2024 solar eclipses
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
A small section of the U.S. Midwest could witness a second total solar eclipse in less than a decade, weather permitting.
It usually takes 400 years to 1,000 years before totality returns to the same spot. The Illinois city of Carbondale and surrounding region are an exception.
In 2017, clouds rolled in at the last moment over Carbondale, but crowds still saw several seconds of the sun’s corona. Skygazers are hoping for redemption and a longer totality experience this year.
Partial eclipse begins over South Pacific
The moon has started to cover up the sun as a partial eclipse begins over the South Pacific.
Millions along a narrow corridor in North America from Mexico’s Pacific coast to eastern Canada hope for clouds to clear as they eagerly wait for totality to reach their location.
Mexican beach town is first in line to see totality
By ALEXIS TRIBOULARD
MAZATLAN, Mexico – Valeria Rosas says her four kids had been so excited by an October partial solar eclipse that passed over southeast Mexico, that she decided to come to this Pacific coast beach city for today’s total eclipse.
The 32-year-old drove eight hours from Leon, Guanajuato, with 10 friends and relatives.
They joined hundreds of others in a beachside park under blue skies streaked with wispy clouds. It’s the first part of North America that will get to see the total eclipse.
Rosas’ mother, Carmen Loza Rodríguez, recalled that Rosas was a baby when Mexico last saw a total solar eclipse in 1991.
“How cool that we have the opportunity to experience it in this digital age, that we can share it with the world,” Rosas said.
Oklahoma winery planned ahead
HOCHATOWN, Okla. — Michelle Smith, who co-owns a winery in a southeast Oklahoma resort town that is in the path of the eclipse, says traffic and crowds are far lighter than expected.
“It’s been nothing as predicted,” Smith said. “All weekend locals have described it as eerily calm.”
She said most of the roughly 3,000 luxury cabins dotting the area have been rented, so “we know that people are here.”
Smith said she and her co-owners have spent years planning a massive party at their Girl Gone Wine winery.
How far ahead? Five years ago, they reserved high-end portable restrooms.
“Those aren’t commonplace in McCurtain County,” she said.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway expects thousands for eclipse
INDIANAPOLIS – Annette Smith sat in the late morning sunshine at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, crocheting a blanket as she waited for the eclipse. She had taped a pair of eclipse glasses to her phone to take pictures.
Smith and her 22-year-old son drove a couple hours from Louisville, Kentucky, after catching the 2017 eclipse in Hopkinsville, Kentucky.
“We’ve been planning this trip for seven years,” she said. “My son’s a science nerd.”
Speedway representatives expected about 50,000 people to watch the eclipse at the track, which drew more than 300,000 people for last year’s Indianapolis 500.
Hearing and feeling the eclipse
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
While eclipse watchers look to the skies, people who are blind or visually impaired will be able to hear and feel the celestial event.
Devices that can translate the eclipse on sound and touch devices will be available at some public gatherings.
An astronomer who is blind collaborated with a Harvard astronomer to design the LightSound box, which translates changing light in the sky into differing musical notes. Another device allows users to feel the eclipse through rows of dots that move up and down.
As eclipse watchers look to the skies on April 8, new technology will allow people who are blind or visually impaired to hear the celestial event. LightSound devices translate changing light in the sky into differing musical notes. (AP Video/ Mary Conlon)
▶ Read more about the sound and touch devices.
Spectators gather ahead of the eclipse
Eclipse map: Peak times along the path of totality
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Traffic at a standstill in New Hampshire
It’s a picture perfect day in Lincoln, New Hampshire, but traffic has reached a standstill on Interstate 93 as thousands of people head north toward the path of totality.
For some, eclipses are bad omens
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
For centuries, eclipses have had profound impact on adherents of various religions.
In Islam, a solar eclipse is a time to turn to God and pray.
Some faiths see solar eclipses as bad omens. That’s traditional Jewish religious law likewise depicts them, and it generally true for Hindus too.
Some Christians have believed that an eclipse portends the “end times” that will precede Christ’s return to Earth.
▶ Read more about how religions have responded to eclipses.
Eclipse offers a ‘teachable moment’ for schools
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
For teachers along the path, the eclipse inspired lessons in science, literacy and culture.
There is no better lesson than the real thing, said Dennis Schatz, a former president of the National Science Teaching Association who encouraged educators to use the eclipse as “a teachable moment.”
Some schools plan to have students watch the eclipse together. One school system in Portville, New York, near the Pennsylvania line, plans to load its 500 seventh- through 12th-grade students onto buses and drive about 15 minutes into the path.
But the timing of the eclipse, around dismissal time for some, means many schools will be closed for the day so that students aren’t stuck on buses or in crowds.
▶ Read more about how schools are preparing for the eclipse.
The total solar eclipse expected on April 8 already is inspiring school lessons in science, literacy and culture. (AP Video: Patrick Orsagos)
Spectators arrive early at Niagara Falls
NIAGARA FALLS, New York – The main attraction at Niagara Falls is typically the more than 750,000 gallons of water that rush over the brink every second. Today, it’s the eclipse.
Tourists streamed into Niagara Falls State Park this morning with wagons, strollers, coolers and chairs. Photographers’ tripods lined a railing under cloudy skies.
Synthia Nguyen and Jen Cerna from Washington, D.C., claimed a prime lawn spot along the rapids, arriving at 6 a.m. with chairs, a blanket and a tent – that they were quickly asked to take down.
They were excited that totality would last a few minutes, long enough for it to sink in. The pair work in an ophthalmology office.
“We’re expecting a lot of calls tomorrow,” Cerna said.
Your eclipse soundtrack
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Need some background music? The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland has come up with a playlist.
The list of over 100 songs includes Bonny Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” of course. Also on the list, the Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun,” Cat Steven’s “Moonshadow,” and Pink Floyd’s “Eclipse,” with lyrics that conclude: And everything under the sun is in tune. But the sun is eclipsed by the moon.
The Rock Hall promises to have the soundtrack blasting at the museum and from “rock boxes” around downtown Cleveland, which is in the eclipse path.
The AP has also compiled 20 songs, spanning decades, genres and themes to soundtrack your total solar eclipse viewing experience. The list includes classics from Billie Holiday, Sun Ra, David Bowie and Bruce Springsteen to contemporary selections spanning reggaetón, K-pop, R&B, soul and Taylor Swift.
▶ Listen to the AP playlist on Spotify.
How will animals react to the eclipse?
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Researchers will be at several zoos to watch how animals behave during the eclipse.
There have been individual sightings of critters behaving bizarrely during previous eclipses, but only in recent years have scientists started to rigorously study the altered behaviors of wild, domestic and zoo animals.
One team will be at the Fort Worth Zoo in Texas to see if the animals there react like the ones they observed in South Carolina during an eclipse in 2017.
Researchers say that many animals display behaviors connected with an early dusk.
▶ Read more about how animals could react to the eclipse.
Researchers will observe how animals’ routines at the Fort Worth Zoo are disrupted during the April 8 total solar eclipse. The moon’s shadow will sweep across North America including from Texas to Maine. (March 8)(AP Video by Kendria LaFleur/Erik Verduzco. Produced by Mary Conlon)
Rockets, balloons and citizen scientists
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Scientists across North America will be watching the eclipse, but they’ll also be working. The event should be a scientific bonanza, thanks to new spacecraft and telescopes — and cosmic chance. The moon will be extra close to Earth, providing a long and intense period of darkness.
Normally hidden by the sun’s glare, the sun’s outer crownlike atmosphere, or corona, is on full display during a total solar eclipse, making it a prime research target.
Plus the sun should be more active. It is closer to its maximum solar activity than it was in the 2017 eclipse, with the potential for bursts of plasma. Some spectators will double as “citizen scientists,” helping NASA and other research groups better understand our planet and star.
Rockets will blast off with science experiments from Wallops Island, Virginia, while more than 600 weather balloons will be launched by college students along the track.
▶ Read more about the eclipse experiments.
Northern New England could get crystal clear look at totality
By JULIE WALKER
NEW YORK – The best chances to see the eclipse are in northern New England, said National Weather Service meteorologist Cody Snell. That area has “a pretty solid lock to be able to see the eclipse pretty crystal clear.”
Next best is central Arkansas to southern Indiana. There will be clouds but they will be high and won’t completely block the view, he said.
In Texas, the south-central region is cloudy, but it is a little bit better to the northeast, he said.
“Dallas is pretty much a 50-50 shot,” he said.
Businesses cash in on eclipse mania
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
A donut with toppings representing an eclipse is displayed at the Donut Dude shop on Friday, March 8, 2024, in Liberty Township, Ohio. Businesses are capitalizing on the April 8, 2024 solar eclipse expected to dim skies across a generous stretch of North America. (Travel Butler County/RVP Photography via AP)
Stores, hotels and restaurants up and down the eclipse path are expecting a boom in business. And they are ready.
Breweries, wineries and coffee shops came up with eclipse-themed drinks and businesses churned out T-shirts, jewelry and other mementoes to mark the day.
Some towns and business owners have been anticipating the celestial event and huge crowds for years.
▶ Read more about businesses preparing for eclipse.
Cities and towns are braced for crowds
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Small towns and rural communities along the eclipse path are steeling for huge crowds.
Tourism and community leaders from Texas to Maine trucked in extra fuel and port-a-potties, and urged residents and visitors to be prepared — and to be patient.
Some counties have issued disaster declarations to get extra help with policing and other aid, similar to the aftermath of severe storms.
Among them is Kerr County, located about 65 miles northwest of San Antonio, where the normal population of 53,000 is expected to double or triple.
▶ Read more about how towns are preparing for the eclipse.
Where are you watching April 8’s total solar eclipse? If you haven’t made plans yet, there are still plenty of eclipse adventures to choose from.
How is this eclipse different from the 2017 total eclipse?
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
The 2017 total solar eclipse stretched from Oregon to South Carolina. Totality topped out around two minutes. This time it will last almost twice as long.
The path of totality is about 50 miles wider than in 2017, and the area includes a much bigger population. The moon is closer to Earth than it was during the 2017 eclipse, thus the longer period of darkness and wider path.
Spectators stake their spot at Niagara Falls under cloudy skies
Eclipse by the numbers
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
The full eclipse will last up to 4 minutes, 28 seconds.
The land track is roughly 4,000 miles in length but just 115 miles wide. It will take a scant 1 1/2 hours for the moon’s shadow to complete the continental course, at speeds upward of 5,000 mph.
Looking for ‘an experience of a lifetime’ in a ski suit
By SUSAN HAIGH
JAY, Vermont – Sara Laneau, of Westfield, Vermont, woke up at 4 a.m. to bring her 16-year-old niece to nearby Jay Peak ski resort to catch the eclipse.
The pair were able to snag a coveted ticket on the ski tram to the top of the mountain where they will be with about 100 lucky skiers and snowboarders to catch the eclipse at 3,968 feet elevation.
Dressed in a purple metallic ski suit with a solar eclipse T-shirt underneath, the 57-year-old Luneau said she’s excited.
“This will be a first from me and an experience of a lifetime.”
How to take the perfect eclipse photo
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
AP chief photographer Julio Cortez recommends using a smaller aperture on your DSLR — f/11 or f/17 — to keep the focus “a little bit sharper.”
When Cortez shot the last U.S. coast-to-coast total solar eclipse in 2017, he used an ISO setting of 1250 and 1/500 shutter speed.
▶ For those with smartphones, AP’s Kelvin Chan tested different apps. Read the One Tech Tip column for his takeaways.
AP Texas and Oklahoma chief photographer Julio Cortez, talks about the best tips and tricks to get the perfect shot during upcoming total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. (AP Video/Shelby Lum)
Don’t have eclipse glasses? Here are some alternatives
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
FILE – Reveka Pasternak, of Boston, left, and her sister Tristen, of Philadelphia, right, use pinhole projectors to view a partial solar eclipse, Monday, Aug. 21, 2017, on the campus of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in Cambridge, Mass. The sisters made the pinhole projectors from cardboard that allow people to safely view the eclipse. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)
You can look indirectly with a pinhole projector that you can make yourself. NASA has a number of designs on its website, including one made with a cereal box. Or grab a kitchen colander — that casts images of the eclipsed sun onto a screen at least 3 feet away.
Sunglasses won’t work.
Get your eclipse glasses ready
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Special eclipse glasses are crucial for safely observing the sun. They need to be worn during the partial phases, as the moon covers more and more of our star.
During totality, when the sun is completely shrouded, it’s fine to remove your glasses and look with your naked eyes. But before and after, certified eclipse glasses are essential to avoid eye damage. Just make sure they’re not scratched or torn.
Wherever there’s only a partial eclipse, you need to keep those solar specs on the whole time.
Cameras, binoculars and telescopes must be outfitted with special solar filters for safe viewing.
▶ Read more about eclipse glasses and safety.
Can you damage your eyes if you look at the sun?
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Doctors say looking at a solar eclipse for even a few seconds without proper eye protection isn’t worth the risk.
Staring directly at the sun during a solar eclipse or at any other time can lead to permanent eye damage. Symptoms can include blurred vision and color distortion.
In 2017, a woman who viewed the solar eclipse without adequate protection came to Mount Sinai’s New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, complaining of a black spot in her vision. Doctors discovered retinal damage that corresponded to the eclipse’s shape.
When it comes to keeping your eyes protected during April 8’s total solar eclipse, regular sunglasses won’t cut it. Here’s how to check if your eclipse glasses are legit.
WATCH: Tips for safe eclipse viewing
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Sunglasses won’t cut it during the April 8 eclipse. Special eclipse glasses are crucial for safely observing the sun as the moon marches across the late morning and afternoon sky on April 8, covering more and more and then less and less of our star. (AP Video/Shelby Lum)
Will there be clear skies?
By STEPHANIE NANO
The weather isn’t looking good for a large part of the eclipse’s path. Clouds could get in the way for a stretch of the route, with the heaviest clouds expected in parts of Texas.
There are patches along the way that may be clear for the eclipse. And meteorologists point out that the eclipse might still be visible if the clouds are high and thin.
The one area where clear skies are expected is northern New England through to Canada.
▶ Read more about the weather forecast along the eclipse’s path.
A partial eclipse will be viewable across the continent
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
FILE – The progression of a total solar eclipse is seen in a multiple exposure photograph taken in 5-minute intervals, with the moon passing in front of the sun above Siem Reap in northwestern Cambodia, 225 kilometers (140 miles) from Phnom Penh, on Tuesday, Oct. 24, 1995. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)
Practically everyone in North America will have a chance at catching at least a partial eclipse.
The farther from the path of totality, the smaller the moon’s bite will be out of the sun. In Seattle, less than a quarter of the sun will be swallowed. In Miami, it’ll be about half.
▶ Take a stroll down cosmic memory lane and see pictures of past solar eclipses in this AP photo gallery.
What happens in a total solar eclipse?
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
The moon lines up perfectly between the Earth and the sun, blotting out the sunlight.
This time, the full eclipse will last up to 4 minutes, 28 seconds. That’s twice as long as the total solar eclipse that darkened U.S. skies in 2017. The length of totality varies by location.
The moon’s shadow that falls on Earth follows along a path that is 115 miles wide.
A total solar eclipse will cross North America in April. This animated map shows the path of totality across parts of Mexico, the U.S. and Canada. (Feb. 29) (AP Animation: Panagiotis Mouzakis and Marshall Ritzel)
How to watch the eclipse from home
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
AP journalists are fanned out along the path of totality to bring you live views of watch parties and festivities.
We’re on the ground in Mesquite, Texas, which hosted a “solar rodeo” weekend of activities, as well as Mazatlán, Mexico; Eagle Pass, Texas; Hot Springs, Arkansas; Carbondale, Illinois; Cleveland; and Niagara Falls, New York.
A livestream kicks off at 10 a.m. EDT, with commentary from 1:30 p.m. EDT to 3:30 p.m. EDT.
▶ Follow along at the top of this page or on YouTube.
It’s eclipse day in North America
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
A total solar eclipse crosses North America today.
It will slice a diagonal line from the southwest to the northeast, briefly plunging communities along the track into darkness. It arrives in Mexico, crosses the U.S. and ends in eastern Canada.
Fifteen U.S. states get a chance to see the full eclipse, although just a small bit of Tennessee and Michigan are included.
A total solar eclipse will cross North America in April. This animated map shows the path of totality across parts of Mexico, the U.S. and Canada. (Feb. 29) (AP Animation: Panagiotis Mouzakis and Marshall Ritzel)
▶ Read more about what to expect.
