Across parts of the United States, Mexico and Canada, would-be eclipse-gazers are on the move for what could be a once-in-a-lifetime event.
Millions of people will tilt their heads skyward on Monday, marveling at a total solar eclipse. The moon will cross the sun and block its light for a few fleeting moments, creating a communal celestial experience that will not again be so accessible to people in the United States, Canada or Mexico for decades.
The total solar eclipse’s path — the expanse where the moon fully obscures the sun — stretches from Mexico’s Pacific Coast to the fringes of Atlantic Canada, passing through dozens of major cities where authorities are preparing for an influx of visitors eager to experience what may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
In New York, signs along the Thruway urged travelers to “Arrive Early, Stay Late” to avoid the inevitable jams that will clog routes to and from prime viewing areas along the eclipse’s path.
Closer to Niagara Falls, which is in the path of totality, the second half of the message switched to a more realistic “Expect Delays.”
The Path of the Eclipse
On April 8, a total solar eclipse will cross North America from Mazatlán, Mexico, to the Newfoundland coast near Gander, Canada. Viewers outside the path of the total eclipse will see a partial eclipse, if the sky is clear.
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10%
30%
50%
70%
100%
Gander
70%
CANADA
50%
Montreal
Buffalo
30%
UNITED
STATES
Cleveland
10%
Atlantic
Ocean
Indianapolis
Dallas
Little Rock
Austin
San Antonio
Pacific
Ocean
Mazatlán
MEXICO
10%
30%
50%
70%
100%
Gander
5:13 p.m. NDT
70%
CANADA
50%
Montreal
3:26 p.m. EDT
Buffalo
3:18 p.m. EDT
30%
UNITED
STATES
10%
Indianapolis
3:05 p.m. EDT
Cleveland
3:13 p.m. EDT
Atlantic
Ocean
Dallas
1:40 p.m. CDT
Little Rock
1:51 p.m. CDT
San Antonio
1:33 p.m. CDT
Mazatlán
11:07 a.m. MST
Pacific
Ocean
MEXICO
Gander
CANADA
Montreal
Buffalo
UNITED
STATES
Cleveland
Indianapolis
Atlantic
Ocean
Dallas
Little Rock
San Antonio
Pacific
Ocean
Mazatlán
MEXICO
It will be the first total solar eclipse visible from the United States since 2017, and there will not be another visible in the lower 48 states until 2044. On Monday, much of the country is expected to take in the view. In 2017, a majority of American adults watched the eclipse in person, according to an estimate by Jon D. Miller, a research scientist at the University of Michigan. The figure, 154 million, is far beyond the audience of even the most-watched Super Bowl (123.4 million this year). And the path of totality for Monday’s eclipse crosses over more than twice the number of people as did the 2017 event.