Across the United States, Mexico and Canada, people are rushing to stake out spots to witness a rare total solar eclipse, but cloudy skies in the forecast are worrying some hopeful spectators.
This phenomenon occurs when the moon lines up perfectly between the Earth and the sun, blocking sunlight. The solar eclipse will be visible in three countries on April 8th.
North America will not see a coast-to-coast total solar eclipse for the next 21 years, and millions of people across the country are expected to travel to witness this celestial phenomenon.
The trajectory of the moon’s shadow is called the “moon shadow.” path of wholenessMonday’s eclipse will be about 115 miles (185 kilometers) wide and will cross 15 U.S. states in a northeast direction from Texas to Maine, starting at 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time and ending at about 3:35 p.m. Lasts about 1 hour, ending in . E.T.
Among the hopeful spectators is Jorge Martinez, who lives in the Dallas suburb of Mesquite. He intends to “witness history” from his home with his wife and three-year-old daughter Nati. “Hopefully she remembers. She’s excited too,” he told The Associated Press.
To the south, the Range Vintage Trailer Resort near Ennis, Texas, is also full and has been full for more than a year.
“I booked it right away and said to my wife, ‘I’m going to Texas,'” Chris Lomas said Sunday from his resort. Even if clouds obscure the event, “it’s still going to be dark. It’s just about sharing that experience with other people,” he said.
Eclipse map creator Michael Seiler has observed 11 solar eclipses so far, and in the past he has even changed locations just before the weather got better.
“We are the opposite of tornado chasers, we are always looking for clear skies,” Seiler said in an email to The Associated Press over the weekend. This time, he’s in Fredericksburg, Texas, with 10 of his family members, holding out “a significant glimmer of hope” for good weather.
An estimated 31.6 million people will live in the path of the total solar eclipse, nearly triple the number in 2017. This will be longer and wider than almost all previous total solar eclipses because the moon will be closer to Earth and cast a wider shadow. .
Weather was the biggest topic at Buffalo Naval Military Park on Sunday. By mid-morning Sunday, volunteer Tom Vila was already greeting tourists from Canada, Brazil and several states.
“Of course they hope it will be like this tomorrow, but weather is weather,” he said.
According to the latest forecast from the National Weather Service, clouds are expected for most of the eclipse’s path through the United States, with a chance of sunshine in some places. The best area to view the eclipse is from northern New England to Canada.
Texas may see the heaviest cloud cover, and some areas can expect severe weather around the time of the eclipse.
Eclipse viewers will be able to watch the spectacle online via broadcasts from NASA and others, even if it’s cloudy or rainy.
Meteorologist Jay Anderson said the eclipse could be visible through thin, high clouds from Dallas to Columbus. “It’s not the best conditions, but it’s acceptable,” said Anderson, a former Canadian meteorologist.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
