Total solar eclipse 2024

An airplane passes by as the total solar eclipse is seen from Bloomington, Indiana, on Monday, April 8.

People gather on the National Mall in Washington, DC, to view the eclipse.

Laquishia Ferguson and her boyfriend, Easy Ash, watch the eclipse from Jacksonville Beach in Florida. "I'm wowed," Ferguson said.

The moon covers the sun during the eclipse in Magog, Quebec.

People observe the eclipse in Torreón, Mexico.

Click here for more spectacular photos from today’s eclipse.

Americans are a little spoiled when it comes to eclipses. After all, we just experienced one that the majority of the country got to see, and it comes on the heels of the “Great American Eclipse” that tracked from Oregon to South Carolina in 2017.

But that doesn’t often happen. And it won’t again until the 2040s.

On average, an eclipse occurs in the same place every 375 years, said Dr. John Mulchaey, Carnegie Institution for Science’s deputy for science and the director and Crawford H. Greenewalt Chair of the Carnegie Observatories.

And we’re living at the right time to truly enjoy the sight of a total eclipse on Earth, he said.

While eclipses occur throughout the solar system, none are exactly like the ones experienced in our world.

The moon is about 400 times smaller than the sun, but the moon is also about 400 times closer to Earth than the sun is, creating a “beautiful coincidence” that results in eclipses when the three celestial bodies align, Mulchaey said.

This alignment is called syzygy, or when three objects line up in space.

In the distant past, the moon was much closer to Earth, which means totality likely didn’t appear as it does now. And within another 60 million years or so, the moon will be so far away that it will never cover the sun, making this a rare moment in time, Mulchaey said.

A total solar eclipse can be seen in Svalbard, Norway, on March 20, 2015.

Eclipses have long inspired terror and awe as ancient cultures sought ways to explain the celestial phenomenon.

“I find the mythology and folklore of eclipses fascinating,” said Mark Littman, a journalism professor at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville and coauthor of “Totality: The Great North American Eclipse of 2024.”

“To see how people long ago and people today reacted to a total eclipse of the Sun, a sight so unexpected, so dramatic, so surprising in appearance, and so unnatural even though it is utterly natural.”

Ancient records of eclipses date back to 772 BC, when the Chinese marked them on animal bones, and 750 BC, when Babylonians recorded eclipses in their cuneiform writing on clay tablets, Littmann said. Both cultures “realized there was a rhythm to eclipses,” which meant they could be calculated and predicted in the future.

Despite the ability to predict eclipses, the cause of the eclipse remained unknown, so myths and folklore filled the knowledge gap.

“The mythology of eclipses most often involves a beast that tries to eat the sun for lunch. For the Chinese, that beast was a dragon or a dog. For Scandinavians, it was a wolf,” Littmann said.

Those in northern South America thought the sun and moon fought one another, trying to shut off each other’s light, he said.

Transylvanian folklore suggested that the sun looked down on Earth, saw the corruption of humans, and turned away in disgust.

And the Fon people of western Africa thought the male sun ruled the day, while the female moon ruled the night.

“They love each other, but they are so busy traversing the sky and providing light that they seldom get together,” Littmann said. “Yet when they do, they modestly turn off the light.”

The solar corona glows in visible white light during the total solar eclipse over Mitchell, Oregon, on August 21, 2017, from an image taken during an experiment.

NASA scientists took full advantage of Monday’s eclipse to collect data and study the Earth, moon and sun in different ways, the agency’s deputy administrator said. One area of specific interest is the sun’s corona, or outer atmosphere.

“This is a very elusive region and it can be viewed during a solar eclipse in a very special way,” Pam Melroy said during a news conference at the end of March.

She said understanding the corona is “key to understanding fundamental questions about how heat and energy are transferred out into the solar wind,” which contributes to how solar wind and flares impacts Earth.

“Things are happening with the corona (that) we don’t fully understand and the eclipse gives us a unique opportunity to collect data that may give insights into the future of our star,” Melroy said.

And this is an especially good year to study the corona, she said. The sun is approaching solar maximum — the peak of activity — later this year, and scientists are eager to capture this moment through a variety of observations that can only occur during eclipses. During solar maximum, the sun’s magnetic poles flip and then the sun will grow quiet again during a solar minimum.

“The chance that we are going to see something amazing is very high,” Melroy said.

A former NASA astronaut said she hopes Monday’s total solar eclipse inspires a connection between everyone who witnessed it and the universe.

“We’re all part of this universe – and the universe was showing us some of its secrets at that point in time,” Mae Jemison told CNN.

While viewing totality in Bloomington, Indiana, the former astronaut said she was thinking about other times she experienced eclipses. 

When she saw a partial eclipse as a child in Chicago, Jemison said she was trying to make sense of what was happening.

But then thinking about her time as an astronaut, “it reinforced the feeling that when I look up, when I look away from the Earth when I was in space, it again connects me with this world, with this universe – and know that I have a responsibility.”

Jemison said science is about building on knowledge for the next generation, and the eclipse was an opportunity to do just that. Scientists used Monday’s eclipse to gather data to better understand the sun but Jemison said she hopes there is also learning at a personal level.

“I hope what people discover is themselves and their connectedness to the rest of the universe,” she said.

Guests watch the final moments before the total eclipse at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois, on August 21, 2017.

Yes! There is an area where both 2017 and 2024 paths of totality intersect. According to a map from NASA, that area includes parts of Missouri, southern Illinois and western Kentucky.

One of the places in that intersection, Carbondale, Illinois, experienced the longest period of totality in 2017 at 2 minutes, 42 seconds, according to NASA. 

Juan M. Soto Peña, his wife Fabiola and daughter Luciana watch the eclipse from Tucson, Arizona.

Juan M. Soto Peña and his wife experienced the joy of a total solar eclipse alongside their daughter, Luciana, in Tucson, Arizona.

The couple saw a partial solar eclipse together on December 25, 2000, in the state of Sonora in Mexico, he said.

Native Washingtonians Autumn Spears, left, and Alice Kostovisky catch the solar eclipse in Washington DC, on August, 21, 2017.

Maybe your eclipse glasses were fake. Perhaps you forgot to slip them back on as the first bit of sunlight reappeared after totality. Or you noticed your child, friend or family member looking up at the sun without putting on their glasses.

Symptoms of eye damage after improperly viewing the eclipse without proper protection can take hours or days to manifest. They include loss of central vision, altered color vision or distorted vision.

And if you notice any symptoms or experience eye discomfort, make an appointment immediately using the American Optometric Association’s doctor locator, said Ronald Benner, an optometrist and president of the American Optometric Association.

“For most people, it’s an alteration of color vision,” Benner said. “The next morning, colors just don’t look right, or it may be bleached out it or just kind of hazy all the time. For others, it may be that they actually have holes in their vision.”

If the damage occurs in the center of someone’s vision, it can affect the ability to read or recognize faces, Benner said.

The Moon’s shadow, or umbra, on Earth was visible from the space station as it orbited into the path of the solar eclipse over southeastern Canada.

From space, crew members at the International Space Station saw a different perspective of the celestial event — the moon’s shadow cast onto Earth.

The orbiting laboratory “soared into the moon’s shadow” and NASA Flight Engineers Matthew Dominick and Jeanette Epps got a chance to capture it following their “workday filled with cargo transfers, spacesuit maintenance, and microgravity research,” according to a statement from NASA. The astronauts took pictures and videos of the shadow of the moon as seen from their position about 260 miles above southeastern Canada. 

A total solar eclipse swept across North America, plunging parts of Mexico, the United States and Canada into darkness in the middle of the day as the moon blocked the sun.

Large crowds gathered along the path of totality for eclipse events.

Here are some of the highlights:

What happens next: The next total solar eclipse will be in August 2026, NASA says. It will be visible in Greenland, Iceland, Spain, Russia, and a small area of Portugal. Another total solar eclipse won’t be visible across the contiguous US again until August 2044. In October 2024, there will be an annular eclipse visible in South America, according to NASA.

Click this video below to see highlights from today’s spectacle.

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Strange animal behaviors have been observed at the Fort Worth Zoo during totality, according to researchers stationed in Texas. 

One of the most bizarre animal observations reported during the 2017 total solar eclipse was of giraffes at other facilities gathering in a herd and beginning to gallop. The giraffes did not gallop this year at the Fort Worth Zoo, but they did huddle together and attempt to enter their nighttime enclosures. 

Similar behaviors were seen among other mammals and reptiles, including a crocodile that began to get ready for bed as the sky darkened, and tortoises that broke the door to their evening enclosure attempting to go inside for the night, according to Dr. Adam Hartstone-Rose, professor of biological sciences at North Carolina State University in Raleigh. 

The most “dramatic reaction” at Fort Worth Zoo came from the primates. “Right at totality, all of the (gorillas) got up from all quarters of the exhibit and walked directly to where they’re supposed to be let in (at night),” Hartstone-Rose told CNN.

On the flip side, nocturnal animals were observed waking up for the start of their days, including three species of owls and a ringtail. 

“Some of the animals seemed kind of confused, probably, like, “why am I still outside? And why haven’t I been let in?” Maybe some of them were curious on why they hadn’t been fed their dinner. But in actuality, that confusion sort of subsided pretty quickly,” Hartstone-Rose added.

The "project eclipse" team takes a group photo before launching the weather balloon.

A group of four friends in Toronto set out to launch a weather balloon to 100,000 feet (30,480 meters) during the solar eclipse. 

Michael Goldstein, 12, and his friend Ilan Kagedan were in class when they first learned about the eclipse. They came up with the idea to launch a balloon, as they had done it before.

Members of the team prepare the weather balloon for release.

Planning for the balloon launch took about a year, said Goldstein, who shared his story with CNN’s Wonder Theory newsletter. The group, which also included Brady Sonshine and Michael “Misha” Vishnever, attached two cameras and two trackers to the vessel.

“It took three tries so I was really happy” when the balloon launched successfully, Goldstein said.

The group hustled to Hamilton, which is more than 40 miles (64 kilometers) southwest of Toronto, to see the total solar eclipse.

“The eclipse was amazing!!!” Goldstein said.

The team successfully launches the weather balloon and payload box.

The partial eclipse has come to an end over Newfoundland and is now over for all land areas.

The next total solar eclipse in any portion of the contiguous US is in 2044.

Cities across the Lower 48, both within and outside the path of totality, experienced significant temperature drops as the moon obscured sunlight during the eclipse on Monday.

Weather stations began to report temperatures falling minutes after the eclipse started. Here’s a list of some of the most substantial drops reported so far:

The eclipse also caused humidity to rise as temperatures dropped closer to the dew point, or the temperature at which air becomes saturated. Temperatures will rise again as the eclipse ends and sunlight is restored. 

A street vendor sells certified solar glasses in Pucon, southern Chile, on December 12, 2020.

As long as the eclipse glasses or solar viewers you’re using comply with the ISO 12312-2 safety standard and aren’t torn, scratched or damaged in any way, they don’t “expire” and can be used indefinitely.

There is also no limit on how long you can view the sun while wearing them.

To take care of them, save your eclipse glasses and viewers for future eclipses by storing them at room temperature in an envelope or their original packaging to avoid scratches.
Never use water, glass cleaner, baby wipes or other wet wipes to clean eclipse glasses — the moisture could cause the cardboard frames to detach from the lenses. Instead, carefully wipe the lenses clean with a tissue or cloth.

Note: Some glasses and viewers carry outdated warnings about using the glasses for more than three minutes at a time or recommend throwing them away after more than three years, but these do not apply to ISO 12312-2-certified viewers, according to the American Astronomical Society.

A total solar eclipse is seen from the International Space Station on August 21, 2017.

The next total solar eclipse will be in August 2026, NASA says. It will be visible in Greenland, Iceland, Spain, Russia, and a small area of Portugal.

Another total solar eclipse won’t be visible across the contiguous US again until August 2044.

There will be an annular eclipse much sooner, though, visible in South America, the agency says. That will happen in October 2024. Remember, an annular eclipse is when the moon is near its furthest distance from earth, it won’t cover the entire sun. This creates what looks like a ring around the moon.

NASA says its eclipse forecasts “are accurate to less than a minute in time over a span of hundreds of years.”

Totality ended in Newfoundland at 3:46 p.m. ET, marking the end of the total solar eclipse over Canadian soil.

You’ll still be able to see a partial solar eclipse — where the moon blocks out just part of the sun — for a while longer, though. The partial solar eclipse continues until 4:47 p.m. ET.

CNN spoke to enthralled people who had gathered on a mountain slope in Stowe, Vermont, after they watched the total solar eclipse.

“I knew it was going to happen, but still, when I saw it, that just completely took my ability to speak away,” one man said.

“We’re lucky to have an experience like that,” another man said.

A third watcher said he would travel to wherever the next total solar eclipse occurs.

“I don’t care where it is in the world, I will go” and see a solar eclipse again, the man said. “It’s the coolest thing I’ve ever done.”

“Being able to take your glasses off, and seeing it for the first time was shocking,” he added.

People look through a telescope that is tracking the path of the sun during the partial solar eclipse in Washington, DC.

After moving across more than a dozen states from Texas to Maine, the total eclipse has now ended for the US.

The path of totality will continue to move over portions of Canada’s New Brunswick and Newfoundland provinces for a few more minutes.

The partial eclipse will continue over the US for just over an hour, ending in Maine at 4:41 p.m. EDT.

Just as people gathered in Stowe, Vermont, to experience the totality of the eclipse, a couple got engaged live on CNN.

The perfectly timed moment happened as the moon completely covered the sun, and the surrounding crowd erupted in cheers for both the couple and rare solar event.

“True love story cemented in the darkness of a total solar eclipse now written in history,” CNN’s Derek Van Dam noted.

Asked how they planned it and timed it so perfectly, the man who proposed said, “She had no idea it was happening and I had no idea what to do. That’s how.”

There was more than one eclipse on Monday.

NASA’s moon account on X, formerly known as Twitter, had its own digital eclipse on Monday when it blocked NASA’s sun account.

“Oops I did it again,” NASA’s moon account tweeted, as a total solar eclipse made its way across America.

See the moment:

People look up at the sun during the total solar eclipse in Niagara Falls, New York.

The crowds at Niagara Falls in New York state let out loud screams in excitement as the moon blocked the sun.

Despite the clouds blocking the full view, the crowds got excited and cheered as nighttime descended in the middle of the day for a brief moment.

The temperature had dropped significantly as it got dark, the CNN crew in the area reported.

Planetary Society member Richard Canedo took photos of the eclipse in Fredericksburg, Texas.

Clouds may have rolled through the Planetary Society’s “Eclipse-O-Rama” event in Fredericksburg, Texas — briefly and intermittently obscuring the mesmerizing spectacle of totality.

But Richard Canedo, who’s been a Planetary Society member since 1981, used the overcast skies to his advantage. He used them as a makeshift filter to capture the moment of total eclipse on his handheld camera.

Canedo shows off his photos of totality.

Attendees at the “Eclipse-O-Rama” flocked to peek over his shoulder after totality passed, anxious to see and share the first permanent memento of the breathtaking event that just played out overhead.

People wear glasses to watch the partial solar eclipse in Niagara Falls, New York.

The total solar eclipse will soon be visible in some cities in the northern US.

You’ll be able to get a full view of the total eclipse in these cities in the following states and cities:

Pennsylvania:

New York:

Vermont:

Follow the path of totality here.

Senators, staff, pages and press have gathered on the US Capitol plaza to watch the solar eclipse, sharing glasses and chatting about the event.  

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin said it was “cool,” and both he and Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin cracked jokes about former President Donald Trump watching the 2017 eclipse without glasses. 

Bride Toni Phillips and groom David Wells look on before a planned mass wedding of over 200 couples at the Total Eclipse of the Heart festival in Russellville, Arkansas.

The crowd in Russellville, Arkansas, soaked in love and the total solar eclipse on Monday.

Just before totality, hundreds of couples tied the knot in a mass marriage ceremony. Then, as the moon fully blocked out the sun, some of the couples cried, hugged and kissed, and took in the sight of the total eclipse in a hushed appreciation.

Russellville experienced about 4 minutes of totality.

“People here are really just soaking up this moment together with their loved ones,” CNN correspondent Stephanie Elam said.

Melissa, left, and Michael Richards watch through solar goggles as the moon partially covers the sun during the total solar eclipse, in Wooster, Ohio.

The total solar eclipse is now visible in cities and towns in the Midwest of the United States.

Here’s a look at when cities throughout the midwest will experience totality:

Missouri:

Illinois:

Indiana:

Ohio:

Follow the path of totality here.

People look toward the sky at the 'Edge at Hudson Yards' observation deck in New York, on April 8, 2024.

The only time it’s safe to view the sun without eye protection is during the totality of a total solar eclipse, or the brief period when the moon completely blocks the light of the sun, according to NASA.

Otherwise, experts say it’s absolutely necessary to wear certified eclipse glasses or use handheld solar viewers that meet a specific safety standard when watching all other phases of a total or partial solar eclipse.

Looking at the sun without proper protection can result in solar retinopathy, or retinal damage from exposure to solar radiation. While the highly specialized cells inside our eyes don’t feel any pain, the rods and cones and photochemical reactors become inflamed and damaged when looking at the sun, said Ronald Benner, an optometrist and president of the American Optometric Association.

It’s a bit like the effect that occurs when we see a camera flash go off, which can distort our vision for a few minutes before it goes away. But the intensity of solar retinopathy causes permanent damage that won’t be immediately apparent.

Overnight, the cells can die, and they won’t be replaced. There is no treatment for solar retinopathy. It can improve or worsen, but it is a permanent condition. The changes in a person’s vision depend on the type of damage that is done, and these can occur in one or both eyes.

On Friday morning, the University of Kentucky in Lexington alerted students to possible counterfeit eclipse glasses that were made available at the campus library. 

The glasses were advertised as approved by the American Astronomical Society (AAS) for safe viewing, but after purchase a representative from the vendor warned the university that the glasses were not approved and therefore may not be safe for viewing the eclipse, according to a release from the University of Kentucky’s news site.

“UK Libraries ask that these glasses be discarded immediately and not used for viewing the upcoming eclipse,” the release said. “We sincerely apologize for the confusion.”

Counterfeit glasses were seen “polluting the marketplace” ahead of the total solar eclipse, according to a release shared by AAS in March.

The sky darkened as totality passed over Fredericksburg, Texas.

More than four minutes of total darkness just passed through Fredericksburg, Texas — turning the landscape dark as night.

The fully eclipsed sun peeked in and out of clouds. At one point, the stunning, blazing ring visible during totality even showed off what Planetary Society CEO Bill Nye called a solar flare.

Temperatures dropped in the area, shifting from sweltering humidity to the chill of midnight in mere minutes.

The sun disappeared behind the moon.

The crowd of hundreds gathered here let out loud cheers and cries of, “Oh my god!”

The sunrise began to creep back in from the west, and the diamond ring effect — a moment of intense brightness around the moon — was clearly visible just before the landscape was thrust back into daylight.

“It’s magical everyone,” said Nye from an outdoor stage event here. “I am just so happy to be sharing this with you all.”

A tornado watch has been issued for portions of eastern Texas and northern Louisiana, including some areas in the path of totality.

The western portion of this watch includes a part of Texas that is in the path of the total eclipse.

Severe storms are expected to develop this afternoon and after totality comes to an end in Texas around 1:49 p.m. local time.

The severe storms and potential heavy rain will impact the very crowded roadways over the next several hours.

“Supercells posing a threat for very large hail and a couple of tornadoes should gradually increase in coverage and intensity this afternoon as they spread east-northeastward,” the Storm Prediction Center said.

As the solar eclipse reached full totality, staff at the Dallas zoo noted moments of change in animals’ behavior.

The flamingos gathered in the middle of the pond together, a zoo staffer said, and the penguins also all clustered together. “All the birds are joining together,” the zoo staff member said, to protect themselves and keep safe.

CNN’s Ed Lavandera also observed that the zebras were running and ostriches later huddled together.

People watch a total solar eclipse in Eagle Pass, Texas.

A total eclipse is underway in Texas and the temperatures are responding in kind as sunlight is replaced by darkness.

Weather station data shows temperatures have begun to drop by a couple of degrees in cities and towns closest to the southern border of the United States. It is also starting to feel more humid. Temperatures could drop by 10 degrees in some areas in the path of totality with lesser drops in areas with a partial eclipse.

In Kerrville, Texas, the crowd was not sure if clouds would block out the total solar eclipse on Monday.

But during totality, there were some moments where the clouds did part, revealing the view. The crowd cheered and clapped when the phenomenon was able to poke through the weather.

People, some lying down on their backs on blankets in the grass, others in lawn chairs, were looking up at the sky as it went completely dark.

The total solar eclipse is moving along the path of totality, and it’ll soon be visible in some cities and towns around the US-Mexico border.

The total eclipse started in Eagle Pass at 2:27 p.m. ET and Del Rio at 2:28 p.m. ET, according to NASA. The total duration of the solar eclipse in this area is until 3:05 p.m. ET.

The solar eclipse is also expected to reach totality in the following cities in Texas:

Follow the path of totality here.

People observe the solar eclipse, in Torreon, Mexico.

As the moon completely blocked the sun and the sky went dark in Torreón, Mexico, crowds started cheering, looking up at the sky with their eclipse glasses, and taking photos of this rare total solar eclipse.

“The birds sound like they’re getting ready to go to sleep. They’re going back to their nest,” an observer told CNN, adding that she’s excited that her city can host people from the world for this event.

Delta Air Lines’ first “path-of-totality” flight took off from Dallas a bit ago and is bound for Michigan. The passengers gave a large round of applause as they took off.

Nearly all of the 194 seats are full on board Delta flight 1010, taken by many who paid $1,000 or more for a chance to see the total solar eclipse from the air. 

“I think it’s going to be pretty awesome, whether we see a lot or not,” said Suzette Holmes, an off-duty Delta flight attendant who had planned to watch the eclipse on the ground in Texas, but changed her plans out of weather concerns. She’ll be trying to catch a view of the eclipse from one of the plane’s jump seats.

Before taxiing, the captain told passengers that because totality will travel faster than the cruising speed of the plane, the eclipse will “catch up to us.”

The flight is planned to fly at 35,000 feet.

Crowds look to the sky as totality approaches Fredericksburg, Texas.

Fredericksburg, Texas — a small hill country town west of Austin — has grown darker.

Partly because only a small crescent sliver of sun remains visible. There’s also thick gray clouds rolling in. But the show is still breaking through intermittently, offering a stunning view.

Spectators are waiting breathlessly to see whether the sky will be clear for totality — expected just after 1:30 p.m. CT.

Suzanne Rapley of Santa Barbara, California, traveled to Madras, Oregon, for the 2017 total solar eclipse.

Are you watching the eclipse from the path of totality? Did you travel far and gather with family and friends to witness the event? Or is your hometown in the path of what for many is a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle?

Everyone has their own eclipse story to tell, and we want to hear yours! Send images* and a few details about your eclipse experience to sciencenewsletter@cnn.com, and it could end up in CNN’s ongoing Eclipse Across America coverage. Please share your full name and pronouns for credit and caption info.

*Any materials sent are subject to the following terms. I agree that CNN can use my photos/video (“Material”) on all CNN media, worldwide in perpetuity along with affiliate distribution. I also confirm that I am the exclusive owner and rights holder of the Material, did not create the Material using AI, and have all the necessary rights to authorize use of this Material at this URL.

Signs advising people to wear eclipse glasses are posted in Cascades Gateway Park, in Salem, Oregon, on August 21, 2017.

Sunrises and sunsets are typically our most tempting reasons to look at the sun, but never when it’s high in the sky and livening up our days with its life-sustaining rays — until an eclipse happens.

Here’s your reminder, from astronomers and optometrists alike: It’s never OK to look directly at the sun, even with sunglasses on. Just don’t do it. Ever.

The only time it’s safe to view the sun without eye protection is during the “totality” of a total solar eclipse, or the brief moments when the moon completely blocks the light of the sun, according to NASA.

Otherwise, the only safe way to view the sun is with certified eclipse glasses or solar viewers — and don’t forget to pop them right back on after totality ends, before sunlight reappears.

Sunglasses won’t work in place of eclipse glasses or solar viewers, which are thousands of times darker and held to an international safety standard. And sunglasses don’t block infrared radiation.

The lenses of solar eclipse glasses are made of black polymer, or resin infused with carbon particles, that blocks nearly all visible, infrared and ultraviolet light, according to The Planetary Society.

Looking directly at the sun can result in eye damage called solar retinopathy, There is no treatment for solar retinopathy. Symptoms may take hours to a few days to manifest, and they include loss of central vision, altered color vision or distorted vision. Solar retinopathy can improve or worsen over time, but it is a permanent condition.

Tips for safe viewing:

The expanding bright blob (center) is an outburst from Comet 12P/Pons Brooks that occurred a day before the Lowell Discovery Telescope in Happy Jack, Arizona, captured this October 2023 image. Debris from the a large July 2023 outburst appears as a crescent moon shape pointed upward.

It’s a comet that goes by many names. And while the unusual horned comet known as the “devil comet” may be faintly visible during the eclipse when the sun’s light is blocked by the moon, astronomers suggest that sky-gazers focus instead on the eclipse.

A series of recent outbursts gave the celestial object its iconic shape, which some say resembled the Millennium Falcon spacecraft from the “Star Wars” films.

The comet, officially known as Comet12P/Pons-Brooks, was visible in the night sky through the end of March. After April 2, the comet moved into the daytime sky and won’t be as visible to sky-gazers at night — but it will be seen when the moon’s shadow temporarily blocks the sun’s face from view during the eclipse.

“The comet would be located about 25 degrees away from the eclipsed sun,” according to Dr. Paul Chodas, manager of the Center for Near-Earth Object Studies, and Davide Farnocchia, navigation engineer, at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. “The comet should be fairly easy to find during the total solar eclipse, as well as a number of planets, but the main focus during those 4 minutes should be on the eclipse itself!”

While astronomers are observing the comet to better understand its distinctive appearance, they’re also eager to stop and watch the eclipse.

“In all my years, I’ve seen a lot of comets. I’ve only seen two total eclipses, and this will be No. 3,” said Dr. Dave Schleicher, astronomer at Lowell Observatory in Arizona. “The first one I saw was back in 1991, from Baja. And that was just extraordinary. I remember realizing, no wonder this is considered the most magnificent sight in the heavens that any person on Earth can see. Get onto the path and see it in totality. You don’t understand it until you’ve seen one.”

A woman observes the solar eclipse with her poodle in Hangzhou, China on July 22, 2009.

While humans need to wear special glasses to experience the eclipse on Monday, veterinarians say you don’t need to worry about your furry friend.

Dr. Jerry Klein, the chief veterinary officer for the American Kennel Club, said on the organization’s website that dogs don’t naturally stare at the sun, so it’s not likely your dog will look up during the eclipse.

As far as how pets will react when it gets dark, studies have shown mixed results. A study from the 1970s found that some dogs ignored the eclipse, a few seemed scared, and a few barked when it was over. Some cats played, and some meowed, but for the most part, they slept.

The Baumanns in 2024: Cora, Elliott and Brendan

The Baumann family enjoyed watching the 2017 total solar eclipse so much that they had to do it again this year, says Genevieve Baumann.

The Baumanns in 2017: Brendan, Cora and Elliott

This time around, Cora, 10, Elliott, 11, Brendan, 14, and their family traveled to Marion, Illinois, which is in the 2024 path of totality. Baumann shared her story with CNN’s Wonder Theory newsletter.

Former NASA astronaut Bill Fisher, 78, is hoping to see the total solar eclipse today for the first time ever.

“In 1970, there was a tornado watch in Florida. In 2017 in Missouri, it rained,” he said. “You gotta see a total eclipse once in your life. And I’m 78. I mean, I haven’t go much time left, so this has got to work.”

 Watching this total eclipse is absolutely at the very top of his bucket list, he said.

His 6-year-old granddaughter, also present to see the eclipse, explained what she was expecting to see, including the fact that it may go dark for 4 minutes.

Meanwhile, Fisher joked he’s going to howl like a wolf when it goes dark.

A total solar eclipse is seen from Mazatlán, Mexico, on April 8.

The total eclipse is beginning in Mazatlán, Mexico, as the moon appears to fully covered the sun there. Totality will last around 4 minutes from 2:07 p.m. ET until 2:11 p.m. ET in this location. 

Totality will begin in Torreón, Mexico — where CNN crews are on the ground — in just a few minutes, at 2:16 p.m. ET

Just remember: If you’re looking at a partial solar eclipse, you need to wear certified eclipse glasses or use a handheld solar viewer.

The LightSound device, designed by Harvard University astronomers, will help make the eclipse more accessible for the visually impaired by turning light into instrument sounds.

A small, boxy device will be making eclipse events across the country more accessible today by converting light into the sounds of instruments.

The device, called a LightSound, uses a light sensor to take in data — in the case of an eclipse the data is light intensity, according to Allyson Bieryla, an astronomer at Harvard University who leads the project.

Those numbers, the light intensity values, are then assigned an instrument sound using a MIDI synthesizer board in the device, she said. This allows the tones to change as the moon blocks the sun and Earth gets dark, allowing people with blindness to interact with the eclipse in ways they couldn’t before.

She said they built and distributed about 900 devices for the 2024 eclipse, which went to sites in Mexico, the United States and Canada.

“That image of totality is breathtaking and so it is visual but that doesn’t mean that’s the only way you can interpret things or experience them,” Bieryla said. “And for someone without sight, they need a different sense to experience it.”

Watch more about the LightSound device:

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A man holds solar viewing glasses over the camera of an iPhone to take a photograph of the solar eclipse in Folsom, California, on August 21, 2017.

While gazing up at the total solar eclipse on Monday, you might want to snap a photo to remember the moment. You don’t need fancy camera equipment, either.

Here are some tips from NASA on using a smartphone to photograph the eclipse:

Even the pros say your smartphone camera can get the job done: “I used one on the past eclipses, just on the automatic settings, and it actually seemed to work OK,” professional photographer Stan Honda. “Just leave it on the standard wide-angle setting — if you start to zoom in on the sun to try to make it bigger, it throws off the automatic exposure.”

A long line of traffic caused by the eclipse in New Hampshire.

While traveling along Interstate 93 near Lincoln, New Hampshire, this morning, Karen Siegel encountered parking-lot level traffic just outside the path of totality. It took five hours instead of three to go from Newton, Massachusetts, to Barton, Vermont, she said.

“Our GPS said we’d get where we wanted to go, but parking lot 2 miles per hour was a little scary!” said Siegel, who submitted a photo via CNN’s Wonder Theory newsletter.

Elsewhere in the Northeast, traffic may be moving on the interstate, but the lines are growing off-highway near Warrensburg, New York, just outside the path of totality. Exit ramps are increasingly backed up.

Lines are also forming at gas stations in the totality zone in upstate New York — but it’s not for gas, it’s bathrooms.

The wait time in a line at one gas station in Pottersville, New York, was nearing 30 minutes. The line was wrapping around aisles inside the store.

People watch the solar eclipse from Clingmans Dome, in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee, on August 21, 2017.

Weird things happen during a total solar eclipse.

Daytime animals suddenly prepare to go to sleep and nocturnal creatures get noisy.

The sky turns an eerie gray color because the sun’s light is disappearing behind the moon while it’s high in the sky, rather than the colorful tones we see during a sunrise or sunset.

And your local temperature will likely drop. During the 2017 total solar eclipse over the US, the recorded temperature dropped in some areas by about 10 degrees when the sun temporarily disappeared from view, according to the National Weather Service.

So before staking out your spot to watch the eclipse, grab an extra layer to keep you warm for those few, chillier moments.

And join in on one of NASA’s citizen science endeavors, called GLOBE Observer, to use your phone to measure and report air temperature and cloud cover during the solar eclipse.

Viewers use special glasses during an annular solar eclipse, in San Antonio, Texas, in October 2023.

A total solar eclipse is an incredible spectacle, and one we won’t see across the US again for about two decades, so of course you’ll want to share the experience with your children.

But discussing eye safety with kids is crucial before watching the eclipse together, said Ronald Benner, an optometrist and president of the American Optometric Association.

Always monitor children wearing eclipse glasses to ensure they don’t take them off and look directly at the sun.

Benner advises that parents talk to their children about how and when they can view the eclipse and when they can take off their glasses. Remember, the only time it is safe to remove your eclipse glasses is during totality – when the moon completely blocks the light of the sun.

If parents worry that their kids may take off their glasses at the wrong moment, make plans to watch the eclipse on TV or use the pinhole projection method to view it indirectly.

“Make sure that you’re protecting not just yourself, but more importantly your children,” Benner said. “If your child experiences eye damage, they have to live with it the rest of their life. And they may not be able to tell you, ‘I’m not seeing clearly out of one eye.’”

A partial eclipse is well underway in the US and the moon’s shadow is racing across North America.

Areas of Mexico near the Pacific Coast are nearing totality, or when the moon completely obscures the sun, and are almost completely dark in this satellite view.

From left: Deputy secretary of Commerce Don Graves, NASA administrator Bill Nelson, Snoopy, Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown and NASA astronaut Steve Bowen outside the Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland.

Of the 10 NASA facilities across the country, only one sits within the eclipse’s path of totality: NASA Glenn Research Facility in Cleveland.

It’s a fitting position to be in, given Ohio’s connections to both aviation and space, said Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown outside the Great Lakes Science Center and NASA Glenn Visitor Center ahead of the total solar eclipse on Monday.

“We are the aerospace state,” Brown said. “Go back to the Wright brothers, go back to Neil Armstrong, John Glenn, Geraldine Mock and all the people in Ohio that were so important to the space program, so important to flight.”

Brown gathered with NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves, NASA astronaut Steve Bowen, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Josh Dobbs and even Snoopy, all outfitted in eclipse glasses. 

Thousands have gathered on site to explore Total Eclipse Fest and wander through the NASA Village, which invites visitors to explore tents filled with experiences showcasing the different types of science and innovation underway at NASA. The Great Lakes Science Center, located between the Cleveland Browns Stadium and the Rock Hall of Fame, is open to visitors eager to learn everything they can about the cosmos before gathering to watch the total solar eclipse.

Crescent-shaped shadows are cast on pavement from the leaves of a tree as a partial eclipse as passes over Denver, in August 2017.

During the total solar eclipse, trees might cast a cresent-shaped shadow onto the ground and surrounding surfaces — this light show is actually a projection of the sun’s current state as the moon incrementally moves to block the face of the sun. 

The crescent shadows, which are caused by the tiny spaces between the leaves on trees, is an example of a pinhole projector effect, in which the light cast through the leaves reflects the sun’s shape as it is seen throughout the stages of the eclipse. 

“In other words, the spaces between leaves act as camera lenses, focusing the light and projecting it onto the ground … making this a great way to view the progress of the eclipse if you don’t have safe solar viewers,” said Dr. Kerry Hensley, the deputy press officer for the American Astronomical Society and AAS Nova Editor, in an email.

When the moon begins to pass in-between the sun and Earth, causing the sun to look like a bite has been taken out of it, the reflected crescent shadows will start out wide and get smaller as totality approaches. The process will then happen again in reverse after totality as the moon appears to move away from the sun, and the crescent shadows will become wider. 

This effect can also be experienced with homemade pinhole projectors, or even common household items such as a pasta colander or a cooking spoon with tiny holes in it, Hensley added. People can use pinhole projectors to see an image of the sun reflected onto the ground, but should not use them to view the sun directly. 

This composite photo shows all the stages of a total solar eclipse in Madras, Oregon, on August 21, 2017.

The total solar eclipse is almost here, and if you haven’t been caught up in the mania surrounding the highly anticipated arrival of this celestial event, let’s catch you up on a few terms.

But you’ve probably heard this one: Totality.

What is it, and why is the path of totality such a coveted spot to watch the eclipse?

The path of totality corresponds with the locations that will experience the total solar eclipse, or when the moon completely block’s the sun’s face from view. Totality represents the brief moments when the sun’s light is completely extinguished.

So why exactly does totality happen? It’s because of another fancy term you can bust out to impress your friends: Syzygy.

When three objects align in space, they create syzygy.

And as you watch the eclipse, be sure to look out for Baily’s beads.

When the moon begins to cross in front of the sun, the star’s rays will shine around valleys on the moon’s horizon, creating glowing drops of light around the moon called Baily’s beads. The phenomenon was named for English astronomer Francis Baily, who noted them during an annular eclipse on May 15, 1836.

A board advertises eclipse glasses for sale at before the total solar eclipse in Charleston, South Carolina, on August 20, 2017.

Experts have been reminding spectators to grab a pair of eclipse glasses to view the total solar eclipse — and to make sure they aren’t fake. Counterfeit eclipse glasses are “polluting the marketplace,” according to a release shared by the American Astronomical Society, or AAS.

The lenses of solar eclipse glasses are made of black polymer, or resin infused with carbon particles, that blocks nearly all visible, infrared and ultraviolet light, according to The Planetary Society. And sunglasses won’t work in place of eclipse glasses or solar viewers, according to a release by the American Optometric Association.

Looking at the sun without properly made eclipse glasses can result in severe eye injury, from temporary vision impairment to permanent blindness. But the AAS has discovered the production of fraudulent eclipse glasses that won’t provide the necessary protection needed to view the sun safely without incurring eye damage.

Here’s how to tell if your solar eclipse glasses are safe to wear:

Counterfeit eclipse glasses with black lenses that have straight left and right edges from China (top) are printed with text copied from real eclipse glasses, but the counterfeit glasses are missing the company address. Meanwhile, real eclipse glasses from American Paper Optics (bottom) have reflective lenses with curved left and right edges.

Spotting a fake: The counterfeit glasses might be hard to spot because they include information and even original artwork that suggest they were made by a known reputable manufacturer of the products, but different factories that have yet to be identified actually made them, according to the AAS. “APO is one of the major U.S. manufacturers of safe solar viewers and prints its name and address on its eclipse glasses, whereas the Chinese copycat products have APO’s name but not its address,” the AAS shared in a news release. But close tracking by the AAS revealed that more unidentified factories are producing counterfeit glasses printed with the name and address of a Chinese factory called Cangnan County Qiwei Craft Co., which creates safe products. Some of the fake glasses also include the name or logo of Solar Eclipse International, Canada, which is Qiwei’s North American distributor.

Where to buy safe glasses: The AAS has curated a list of safe manufacturers and resellers of eclipse glasses and filters for optical devices, including cameras and smartphones. The AAS task force for the eclipse has confirmed that solar viewers and glasses made by all known manufacturers of the products in the US and across Europe, as well as some Chinese manufacturers, have been tested in a lab.

Carey Fender and his daughter, Aubrey, try on eclipse glasses during a practice round for the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 8.

Every year, the prestigious Augusta National Golf Club hosts The Masters. But this year, it is competing with an even bigger spectacle.

Monday’s practice round for The Masters golf tournament will be unusual; for a few minutes in Augusta, Georgia, the sun will mostly disappear from view.

Just after 3 p.m. ET, an estimated 75% of the sun will be eclipsed by the moon, and for once the gaze of the patrons will not be on the players and the famous backdrop of azaleas and dogwoods, but instead on something more celestial.

Fittingly, Augusta National says the best view of the eclipse will be at Amen Corner, an infuriating three holes on the Back 9 that have frequently sent golfers looking to the skies (in frustration).

For many golf fans, a ticket to The Masters is akin to a pilgrimage at a sporting mecca, and the memorabilia is arguably the most sought after for any sports event on the planet, because it can only be purchased at Augusta National. All of the patrons on Monday will be leaving with some unique sporting memories and a priceless souvenir – a pair of Masters-branded solar eclipse glasses.

Bill Nye looks up at the first moments of the eclipse in Fredericksburg, Texas.

The Planetary Society — a nonprofit founded by famed astronomer Carl Sagan and now run by the prolific Bill Nye of “Science Guy” celebrity — just caught the first glimpse of the eclipse in Fredericksburg, Texas.

The moon is slowly moving into view from the far right side of the sun.

“There it is people! The moon’s getting between us and the sun!” Nye exclaimed from a stage.

The Planetary Society chose Fredericksburg for their “Eclipse-O-Rama” event in part because it’s in the very center of the path of totality, expected to offer more than four minutes of total blackout just after 1:30 p.m. CT.

Fredericksburg is also a dark sky community, meaning the town limits the brightness of its lights at night to offer sublime stargazing. There are only a few dozen dark sky towns in the world, according to the Planetary Society.

Cloudy conditions have loomed all day, but the sun popped out in full force shortly before the partial eclipse started.

Nye joked that he made calls to the appropriate “authorities.”

The next time Cleveland, Ohio, will experience a total solar eclipse will be 2444, 420 years from today. The time before today was 1806. 

Cleveland’s forecast today called for part clouds and part sun, but after an early morning rain and more than a few nervous morning peeks through the curtains, there is a cloudless and perfectly blue sky along Lake Erie. 

Dr. Joshua Pepper, a NASA astrophysicist from Cleveland who has never witnessed a total eclipse, says we are in for a treat. 

Pepper explained we’re living in a perfect era for solar eclipses, where the Earth, sun, and moon can occasionally align to create a total solar eclipse as the moon moves away from the Earth at about one centimeter a year. 

“In about 600 million years, it is about how long it will take for the moon to gradually move away from the Earth,” Pepper said, explaining that eventually, there will be “will be no total solar eclipses,” only annual eclipses, or so-called ring of fire eclipses, where the moon can’t block out the entire sun.

Kylee and Michael Rice prepare to take a hot air balloon ride before a planned mass wedding of over 200 couples in Russellville, Arkansas.

Ashley Smith and Gary Knebel have been together for 15 years and planned to get married in 2017 but their plans were put on pause when Smith’s mother passed away. Now, the eclipse will be the backdrop to their vows.

“It’s been on the back burner for a while with my mom passing and stuff. I was taking it pretty hard and now that this eclipse, I feel like my mom is, this is my mom telling me do this. It’s time. It’s ready,” Smith said.

Smith and Knebel are one of the 358 couples preparing to tie the knot at the “Elope at the Eclipse” event in Russellville, Arkansas, where a mass wedding ceremony will take place Monday afternoon, concluding just before totality darkens the skies overhead.

While Smith said she was looking most forward to the “I do,” Knebel said he looking forward to the moment of darkness. 

Families prepare to see the eclipse in Torreon, Mexico, on April 8.

Some scientists gathered in Torreón, Mexico, told CNN this is the first time they are experiencing the “real” country instead of the touristy locations.

That’s because Planetarium Torreón is one of three good spots in the city to watch the solar eclipse, CNN’s Gustavo Valdés reported.

“It’s a deserted area,” Valdés said. “There’s no urban pollution, there’s no artificial lighting. So it’s going to be really, really dark.”

So scientists are thronging this location, Valdés said

“I’ve talked to scientists who said they’ve traveled the world to see other eclipses. They’ve come to Cancun or Baja California for different events, but they said this is the first time they get to experience real Mexico. This not a tourist destination. It’s an industrial agriculture area,” Valdés explained.

Meanwhile, in Mexico City, people of all ages could be seen preparing for the solar eclipse by using the shade for a picnic at the UNAM University.

CNN’s Sara Pérez Arjona contributed reporting to this post.

Yes, if you didn’t pick up a pair of certified eclipse glasses, you can make your own pinhole projector to view the solar eclipse.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Here’s how to make your very own pinhole projector:

What this step-by-step guide on how to make it:

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People assemble to view a total solar eclipse in Eagle Pass, Texas.

The partial eclipse is beginning in southern Texas near Eagle Pass on the southern border with Mexico, marking the start of the eclipse in the United States.

The total eclipse will begin at the border at 2:27 p.m. ET, lasting until 2:32 p.m. ET.

The partial eclipse will begin in Kerrville, Texas in only 4 minutes, at 1:14 p.m. EDT.

Josh Dobbs speaks with CNN in Cleveland.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Josh Dobbs is hoping to catch his first sighting of a total solar eclipse today in Cleveland, Ohio. And with the morning rain and clouds clearing for a beautifully sunny day against the backdrop of Lake Eerie, his chances of seeing the highly anticipated celestial event just went up. 

It’s been on his schedule for months, especially after hearing about it while playing for the Cleveland Browns last year. Dobbs, a self-described aviation nerd from the time he was a child, pursued his love of math and science — and football — from the age of 5.

At the University of Tennessee, Dobbs earned a degree in aerospace engineering, garnering the nickname “Astro Dobbs” along the way. Now, he’s most famously known as the “Passtronaut.”

Dobbs has continued his love for aerospace engineering by repeatedly partnering with NASA, working on the mobile launcher for the Artemis I mission in 2021 and the lunar soil-mining RASSOR, or Regolith Advanced Surface Systems Operations Robot. 

“It not only affects the future of human civilization, but our everyday lives on Earth with the research that’s occurring in space,” Dobbs told CNN outside of the Great Lakes Science Center, referring to experiments taking place 225 miles above Earth on the International Space Station.

Football is still number one for the 29-year-old quarterback, but off the field, he’s eager to keep partnering with NASA and to see how the agency pushes the boundaries of space exploration. And one day, Dobbs hopes to make his dream of being the “Passtronaut” come to life by throwing a pass on the moon.

A woman puts on her glasses to see the eclipse in Mazatlan, Mexico, on April 08.

The solar eclipse has reached land, and some people in Mexico are getting their first look at today’s dramatic show. A partial solar eclipse is now visible in Mazatlan, on Mexico’s Pacific coast.

The moon will slowly move in front of the sun, and totality — when the moon completely blocks the sun — is expected at 2:07 p.m. ET. Totality will last for about four minutes.

Remember: If you’re viewing the eclipse today, wear certified eclipse glasses or use a handheld solar viewer.

A satellite view captured the eclipse underway in the Pacific Ocean as it draws nearer to starting in North America.

Another view from a satellite focused over North America shows where clouds could cause problems for eclipse watchers.

Storminess and low clouds over the South won’t part in time for the eclipse. Some obstructive clouds could give way to more scattered ones in parts of northern Texas, but cloudiness will still prevail. Conditions also look grim for viewing in the eastern Great Lakes and Northern Plains.

Bethany Ehlmann poses for a portrait in Fredericksburg, Texas.

Bethany Ehlmann, a professor of planetary science at Caltech, will be catching her first total solar eclipse in Fredericksburg, Texas, where the nonprofit Planetary Society is gathered for the big show. (Ehlmann is also the president of the organization.)

“I think I’ve just prepared myself to be present and to be in the moment — not thinking about the gazillion other things that are happening in the world,” Ehlmann told CNN.

But her mind may briefly wander to the surface of Mars, where eclipses are can be visible every single day — about three times a day, Ehlmann said.

The two Martian moons, Phobos and Deimos, are too small to offer a total eclipse like the ones we can see here on Earth. But they do routinely pass in front of the sun, keeping some of its rays from reaching the red planet.

Those eclipses are crucial for Ehlmann’s day job: She’s the lead investigator for NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer mission, a small satellite set to scour Mars’ surface for water after it launches later this year.

Ehlmann said she’s kept her eyes on countless eclipses on Mars.

The reason: When Mars’ moons block some sun rays it can cause power concerns for Martian spacecraft that rely on solar energy to function.

So engineers and scientists like Ehlmann design vehicles around them.

“All of the mission’s power and battery systems are optimized to survive in eclipse,” Ehlmann said of the Lunar Trailblazer.

Passengers on special path-of-totality flights offered by commercial airlines are banking on seeing the total solar eclipse from above the clouds that have blanketed parts of the heartland.

CNN correspondent Pete Muntean is boarding Delta Air Lines flight 1010 at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. Bound for Detroit, the flight plan includes special “turns in totality” for passengers to view the eclipse’s so-called “diamond ring” out of the Airbus A320’s 14-inch windows.

“We’re just watching an area of higher clouds out over Arkansas, Oklahoma and Missouri and just hoping that they stay out of our flight path,” said Delta meteorologist Warren Weston from the terminal in Dallas. Out the window of gate E15, gray clouds are hanging low over the airport. “We’ll be able to get above all this very quickly and very easily,’ Weston said.

Delta says flight 1010 is nearly sold out. Monday morning, seats available for the flight were listed at $950. Only aisle and middle seats in the main cabin were available.

Announced on February 26, Delta 1010 is the airline’s second path-of-totality flight after its first such flight, Delta 1218 from Austin, sold out in less than 24 hours. Both flights are planned to arrive in Detroit simultaneously followed by a party at the gate. United and Southwest Airlines are offering similar flights.

A girl uses a telescope to observe a partial solar eclipse in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, on April 20, 2023.

If your location only affords a view of the partial solar eclipse, some of the sun’s powerful light will always be visible. And any glimpse of the sun’s brightness with the naked eye is not only uncomfortable, it’s dangerous. Directly staring at the sun can result in blindness or disrupted vision.

Here’s how to view the eclipse:

What won’t work:

NASA's map for the total solar eclipse shows the path of totality and partial contours crossing the US.

The Earth rotates on its axis eastward. That means the moon and sun (plus all of the stars) look like they are moving from east to west when you are standing on Earth, according to NASA.

Here’s how NASA further explained it:

“The Moon orbits Earth in the same direction as our planet rotates – eastward – but the Moon’s movement along its orbit is small compared to Earth’s daily rotation, making it difficult to notice the Moon’s eastward motion. However, during a solar eclipse, it is easier to observe this motion as the Moon crosses in front of the Sun from west to east.”

Heidi Hammel poses for a portrait in Fredericksburg, Texas.

Heidi Hammel, the vice president for science at the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, said there have been two deeply emotional experiences in her career:

Watching total solar eclipses — and the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, a project she worked on for 25 years that finally took to the skies in December 2021.

“I was most surprised about the eclipse being emotional because as a planetary astronomer, I know exactly what an eclipse is,” Hammel told CNN in Fredericksburg, Texas, where the nonprofit Planetary Society is gathered to watch the eclipse. (Hammel is also the organization’s vice president.)

She seen three eclipses, most recently in 2017 from Sun Valley, Idaho, she said.

Hammel understands all the orbital mechanisms that lead up to such events. But she was struck by how “weird” it can be.

“The sun disappeared from the sky, and it was replaced by this huge black hole,” Hammel said. “I knew all this was going on. But my amygdala — my lizard brain — was like, ‘Weird things are happening here.’”

She added that, in those moments, she understood “why primitive people who didn’t know what was happening would be terrified by this.”

Hammel added that eclipses are exciting times for planetary science, as studying the sun’s corona — or the hot outermost part of the sun’s atmosphere — can help us understand more about the star at the center of our own solar system.

And the more we know about home, the more knowledge we can carry into the study of far-out galaxies, like those perused by the Webb telescope.

An installation showing the 2024 NCAA Tournament Women's March Madness basketball tournament playoff bracket is seen at Public Square, in Cleveland, on April 7.

On a normal day, as they say, Cleveland rocks.

With the eclipse, the NCAA women’s final four, the Cleveland International Film Festival and the Guardians home opener all converging in one weekend, Cleveland is rocking an economic high. 

Nick Urig with Destination Cleveland says Cleveland’s Cuyahoga County will see 200,000 visitors for the eclipse alone. Because several major events are happening in Cleveland at the same time discerning the economic effect of each one is difficult. By one account, “hotel rates in the county are two to four times higher than this time last April” says Urig. 

For the eclipse, there are multiple large events across Cleveland. The Great Lakes Science Center and NASA’s Glenn Visitor Center (NASA’s Glenn Research Center is the only NASA facility in the path of totality) is the largest event expecting some 30,000 eclipse watchers. 

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is holding a solar fest, essentially DJ’ing the eclipse itself with a curated playlist. Rock Hall, as it’s known locally, will set up speakers throughout Cleveland playing every sun- and moon-related song possible, including with Pink Floyd’s song “Eclipse” for totality itself. 

There are so many events converging on Cleveland over just a few days, groups like Destination Cleveland are undertaking studies to try and define how much the city has benefited and which major event eclipsed all others. 

A man takes photos of the sunset ahead of Monday's eclipse in Mazatlán, Mexico, on April 07.

The Port of Mazatlán in Sinaloa, Mexico, is described by NASA as the best place in the world to observe the total solar eclipse that will cross much of North America.

Preparations for the astronomical event have been vast. The government of Sinaloa delivered about 250,000 certified glasses over the past few days for observing the eclipse. Areas have been adapted where visitors will be able to appreciate the eclipse with their telescopes.

A concert with a symphony orchestra will be held in the Ciudades Hermanas Park. A report from the Sinaloa government indicated that at least 120,000 visitors are expected to be this Monday for the event. The totality of the eclipse can also be seen from the states of Durango and Coahuila.

According to experts, the west coast of Mexico will be one of the best places to observe the eclipse, especially the states of Coahuila, Durango and Sinaloa, where the moon will completely block the sun.

The last total eclipse observed from Mexico was in 1991 and the next one will be in 28 years.

Ahead of the arrival of the eclipse to United States, President Joe Biden urged Americans to wear the appropriate protective eyewear to witness the marvel in the sky.

“But don’t be silly, folks – play it safe and wear protective eyewear,” Biden said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Biden is traveling today to Madison, Wisconsin, to deliver remarks on “lowering costs for Americans.” Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris plans to view the solar eclipse with students in Philadelphia.

A spectator runs through crescent shaped shadows created by the solar eclipse in Washington, DC, on August 21, 2017.

If you don’t have certified glasses or viewers on hand, eclipses can also be viewed indirectly using a pinhole projector, such as a hole punched through an index card.

These work when you stand with your back to the sun and hold up the card. The pinhole projects an image of the crescent or ring-shaped sun on the ground or other surfaces.

Just remember: Never face the sun and look directly at it through the pinhole.

Other pinhole projectors you may already have on hand, include colanders, straw hats or anything with small holes in it. Or you can simply hold up your hands, space out your fingers and cross them over each other to create a waffle pattern. The small space between will reflect the sun’s crescent during a partial eclipse or a ring during the annular eclipse.

Standing by a leafy tree? The small spaces between leaves will dapple patterns of the eclipse phase on the ground.

Spectators have begun to gather across Canada, Mexico and the United States to experience the eclipse. See what people are doing to prepare.

Tamra Sylvester poses with a person dressed as an astronaut during a eclipse viewing event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Miriam and Oliver Toy share a pair of eclipse glasses as they await the eclipse in Houlton, Maine.

Tourists sleep next to the Horseshoe Falls ahead of the eclipse in Niagara Falls, New York.

A family poses for a photo at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Revelers gather to watch the eclipse in Mazatlán, Mexico.

US Vice President Kamala Harris is pictured during an event in Raleigh, North Carolina on March 26.

Vice President Kamala Harris will arrive in Philadelphia in time to catch a glimpse of the solar eclipse on Monday, according to a White House official.

Harris will exit her plane and greet Philadelphians, including young students, at the airfield.

All will receive appropriate eyewear — including the VP — and they will view the solar eclipse together, the official said.

Lansong Yue traveled to the US from Beijing, China, to see the solar eclipse.

He said he arrived in Dallas on Thursday before flying to Chicago and driving to Indianapolis.

Lansong said his main reason for making the journey across the world is because “the weather should be okay in the United States.”

Science educator Bill Nye is in Fredericksburg, Texas, one of the many cities in the United States that will be experiencing the totality of the solar eclipse.

Currently, there is some cloud coverage in Fredericksburg, but Nye says it will not take away from the rare and awe-inspiring experience.

“I’ve been in a total solar eclipse in 2002, when it was a little cloudy — it’s still amazing, you guys. It goes dark. It turns to night in a few moments,” Nye told CNN.

Nye also noted what a singular unique event the eclipse is and one that people should truly be present for.

“We are unique in the solar system and we’re probably unique in the galaxy,” Nye explained. “The situation where our moon blocks the same width of sky as our sun. There’s no place else in the solar system where that happens, but it happens here, probably doesn’t happen any other place nearby galactically and so appreciate it. It’s a remarkable thing where it goes completely dark when you’re in the path,” he said.

He urged people who are set to experience the totality to put down their phones and take in the rare event.

Baily's Beads flare from the corona during a total solar eclipse in Woomera, Australia, in December 2002.

When the total solar eclipse traces a path across Mexico, the United States and Canada later today, spectators can anticipate a multitude of awe-inspiring moments.

It’s worth taking some time to stop and take in this historic celestial event because a total solar eclipse won’t be visible across the contiguous US again until August 2044 and an annular eclipse — which happens when the moon can’t completely block the sun— won’t appear across this part of the world again until 2046.

Here’s what you should watch for:

Read more about what to expect during the eclipse.

Partly cloudy skies are seen over a campground in Fredericksburg, Texas.

Folks in Texas have become weather-obsessed since clouds and storms have threatened to blot out the sky for the total solar eclipse.

Fredericksburg, a hill country town about 100 miles west of Austin, is teeming with activity as members of the nonprofit Planetary Society and their family members have gathered to catch the big show.

Weather chatter is common, but as of 9 a.m. CT, promising blotches of blue were peeking through the thick white blanket of cloud cover.

Many of the 800 people who registered for the event camped on site — in tents, “glamping” accommodations or in nearby cottages.

They’ve all gathered to spend the big event with Bill Nye, the famed science communicator and CEO of the Planetary Society. The nonprofit was founded by the late astronomer Carl Sagan in 1980, and it’s dedicated to advocating for the scientific exploration of outer space.

Nye arrived Sunday evening by helicopter, shuttling over from an event in Austin.

Brittany Sunderman, right, and Gianna Debenham, try out their eclipse viewing glasses at their campsite a day ahead of the eclipse event at Camp Carew in Makanda, Illinois, on April 7, 2024.

The eclipse will first appear over the South Pacific Ocean and begin its journey across North America. 

Mexico’s Pacific coast is the first point of totality on the path, expected at 11:07 a.m. local time (2:07 p.m. ET), and the eclipse is expected to end on the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland at 5:16 p.m. local time (3:46 p.m. ET).

To find out when the eclipse will start and end where you live, check out this interactive map.

Jeremy Bloom and his son Marlowe in Fredericksburg, Texas.

The sun has risen over Fredericksburg, Texas — a small town in the Texas hill country where members of the nonprofit Planetary Society have gathered.

Roughly 600 people were already in attendance on Monday morning, with some grabbing breakfast tacos — a Texas morning meal staple. Families also perused a selection of board games to pass the time as they awaited the big moment.

Kids stopped by a station to “create a bowtie” they could later get signed by Bill Nye, the famed science communicator and CEO of the Planetary Society. Nye arrived by helicopter to the venue last night.

Board games are available for families to pass the time until the main event.

Jeremy Bloom, a 64-year-old editor of the environmental website RedGreenandBlue.org, traveled with his family from New York City to witness the eclipse.

He and his wife, Dale, have been obsessionists since they caught the 2017 total solar eclipse in the backwoods of Grand Tetone National Park in Wyoming.

“My wife didn’t get it, until she saw it, and she was like, ‘WOW!’” Bloom said.

At the time, his wife was five months pregnant. Now they’re back with their 6-year-old son Marlowe. Bloom isn’t sure if Marlowe has wrapped his head around the event just yet — “but I think it’ll be just like my wife.”

One of the amazing side-effects of the eclipse is its ability to change the weather — but it has its limits.

Changes to temperature, wind speed and humidity occur as the moon crosses in front of the sun and casts a shadow on Earth’s surface during a solar eclipse. In the path of totality, temperatures will drop by around 10 degrees. It will also start to feel more humid and winds and cloud coverage could drop.

Unfortunately, the changes will not do enough to dent the chances for severe thunderstorms in Texas and parts of Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma, where large hail, strong winds and tornadoes are possible after the eclipse passes through.

Several ingredients combine to form thunderstorms, one of which involves the sun. Thunderstorms need warm, moist air to form. As the sun heats up the ground it causes air to warm up and rise until it starts cooling and its moisture condenses into clouds.

So, you might think that if the eclipse blocks the sun and drops temperatures it would also dent the chances for storms to form. But temperatures will recover quickly after the eclipse, the air will still be chock-full of moisture, and the other atmospheric ingredients that help form thunderstorms will play a more outsized role in their formation today, according to the Storm Prediction Center.

The dangerous storms could start firing up within a couple of hours of the eclipse passing, maybe as soon as 3 to 4 p.m. local time.

The opportunity to witness a rare natural phenomenon today has some people hoping for a supernatural results.

“You feel the healing energy,” Rischa Leinweber told CNN.

Leinweber is the co-owner of Zen & Alchemy, a self-described “holistic company specializing in natural therapies.” She said one of her practitioners was offering a “pre-eclipse alignment” for visitors to prepare for the big event. But some cultures and faith traditions see the eclipse as more of a bad omen.

“We’ve got a friend who works at the visitors center, and they’ve been getting all these calls that people are, like, afraid that this is going to be the apocalypse or the rapture or something,” Leinweber said.

The owner of Zen & Alchemy says there’s not a specific vibe people are supposed to get from the eclipse.

“This kind of spiritual, physical journey is unique to everybody, and everybody’s got a little bit different experience with it,” Leinweber said.

 A baby gorilla lies on its mother at the Fort Worth Zoo in Fort Worth, Texas, in February 2024. 

Increased desire to mate and other behavioral changes among animals are some of the things researchers have observed during solar eclipses, a North Carolina State Biological Sciences professor told CNN.

During the last total solar eclipse, in 2017, researchers noticed that tortoises began to move faster and some started mating, said Professor Adam Hartstone-Rose, who will be observing animals at the Fort Worth Zoo in Texas, which is in the path of the total solar eclipse totality. Hartstone-Rose added that he has no idea why the tortoises reacted that way.

“It seems crazy,” he said. “I like to think that potentially, in a long-lived species like this. A rare event like that, could be a signal for mating. But it’s probably a one-off. We don’t know, but we’re going to find out because we’re going to be watching more tortoises today.”

During Monday’s solar eclipse, tortoises will again be closely watched as the moon passes between the Earth and the sun. About 25 other species at the zoo will also be under observation including, gorillas and bonobos.

“So we think that actually the effects of the sun going down is what they were noticing. But a lot of the animals exhibited behaviors that we associate with anxiety. We don’t know if it’s the eclipse itself that makes them anxious or the crazy behavior of the people around, because we are so excited,’” he said.

Asked about possible behavior changes in house pets, Hartstone-Rose said there have been observations of some dogs either going quiet or starting to bark or howl a lot.

The Amistad National Recreation Area, in South Texas, is one of the few National Park Service sites that is directly in the eclipse’s path of totality. And because it’s near the US-Mexico border, its visitors will get to see the full eclipse before most of the country does.

People started camping out days in advance to make sure they got a spot. Photographer Sarah Silbiger is there for CNN. See more of her photos from the scene.

Aria and Zackariah sit at their campsite at the Amistad National Recreation Area. Their family traveled from New Mexico to see the eclipse. “We drove 12 hours!” Aria said.

Dianna Carta sells handcrafted wood items at an eclipse-themed popup market in nearby Del Rio, Texas.

JC, Amber, Hazel and their dog Ziggy traveled to Texas from Washington state. They hoped to camp in a parking lot after finding out that the campgrounds were full.

Pins promoting the Solar Eclipse Fest pins are on sale in Del Rio.

Park ranger Austin Rogers tests out his eclipse glasses Saturday at the Amistad National Recreation Area. Rogers said he has seen four times the amount of visitors that he normally sees at his ranger station.

Tim and Laurie Southworth camp in their vintage Westfalia van.

The weather conditions across western Vermont are ideal for the eclipse.

Snow-capped mountain vistas, fresh snow and blues skies: That’s the stunning setting for the out-of-this-world treat eclipse watchers will receive today across northern Vermont.

The area is one of the lucky few spots with perfect weather conditions to see the eclipse.

Conditions in Stowe are brilliant and couldn’t be more ideal for what is about to be Mother Nature’s finest moment. Temperatures are warm and people will need sunscreen — that is, until totality obscures the sun from view. 

Three sounding rockets will launch from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on April 8 to study the eclipse.

Observing the sun during eclipses helps scientists better understand how solar material flows from the sun.

Charged particles known as plasma create space weather that interacts with an upper layer of Earth’s atmosphere, called the ionosphere. Many low-Earth orbit satellites and radio waves operate in the ionosphere, which means dynamic space weather has an impact on GPS and long-distance radio communications.

Three sounding rockets will lift off in succession from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia before, during and after the eclipse to measure how the sudden disappearance of sunlight impacts Earth’s upper atmosphere.

Each rocket will eject four soda bottle-size scientific instruments within the path of totality to measure changes in the ionosphere’s temperature, particle density, and electric and magnetic fields.

The sounding rockets will reach a maximum altitude of 260 miles (420 kilometers) during flight.

“Understanding the ionosphere and developing models to help us predict disturbances is crucial to making sure our increasingly communication-dependent world operates smoothly,” said Aroh Barjatya, project leader and professor of engineering physics at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida.

The launch of each rocket will stream live, and visitors to the NASA Wallops Flight Facility Visitor Center in Virginia can watch the launches in person between 1 to 4 p.m. ET on Monday.

Spectators watch the solar eclipse at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas, on August 21, 2017.

Most likely, yes!

Even if you do not live in the path of totality, 99% of the country will be able to see at least a partial eclipse, according to NASA. That accounts for every contiguous state in the US, plus parts of Alaska and Hawaii.

More people will also be in the path of totality this year compared to 2017, NASA says, as Monday’s eclipse is set to pass over more densely populated areas. The agency estimates more than 31 million people are in the path of totality in 2024, compared to about 12 million in 2017.

If you plan to be one of the millions of Americans gazing up at the sky during the total solar eclipse on April 8, don’t forget to protect your eyes.

You can make your own eclipse viewer with a few items you already have in your house. Watch the step-by-step guide here:

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01:55 - Source: cnn

Kerrville Mayor Judy Eychner speaks to CNN on April 7.

The massive interest in experiencing a total eclipse is flooding small communities with tens of thousands of extra people today. In Kerrville, Texas, they’ve been getting ready for more than two years.

“We have safety personnel all over the county so that if something happens somewhere – someone needs assistance – it’s not going to take them 30, 40 minutes to get there,” Eychner said. 

The biggest concern for many communities in Texas today is the threat of severe weather literally casting a cloud over the event. But Kerrville’s mayor is trying to think positive. “I checked my magic ball this morning, and it says no rain,” Eychner joked.

After days of obsessing over clouds, millions of eclipse watchers are finally getting a clear picture of which areas of the US are most likely to have ideal, good and disruptive viewing conditions.

One forecast model's depiction of cloud cover during the eclipse. Exact levels of cloudiness could change slightly at the time of the eclipse.

Ideal: Lucky viewers in northern New England, including Maine, New Hampshire and much of Vermont should get the absolute best view of totality. Parts of the Plains and West could have similar great conditions for views of a partial eclipse.

Good: Expect these conditions in parts of the Midwest, including Indiana, Missouri and Illinois. Clouds in this area should be of the high and more scattered variety, which will at least afford some view of the eclipse.

Disruptive: For areas in the path of totality, these conditions are expected in the South, particularly southern Texas, and in the eastern Great Lakes and Interior Northeast. The Northern Plains also looks rough for partial eclipse views.

Of course, nothing in weather is simple. The final thickness, type and coverage of cloud overhead at the exact moment of totality will also decide how much of the eclipse you can see from the ground.

The colorful graphic below shows a forecast model’s depiction of how thick and at what levels of the atmosphere the clouds will be at 2 p.m. ET. If you’ve clouds in your forecast, thicker, low-level ones are the worst for viewing since they block out the sky. Higher, scattered clouds tend to afford the best chance of a view.

Baby Teagan wears an eclipse onesie and glasses at the Cleveland Clinic Children’s NICU at Hillcrest Hospital in Mayfield Heights, Ohio, on April 8.

For many babies in Ohio, the next time they will live through a total solar eclipse will be when they are 75 years old.

But for today, a number of babies are preparing for the event wearing special onesies and eye covers that look like eclipse glasses.

Baby Ella is all decked out for the eclipse at the Cleveland Clinic Children’s NICU at Hillcrest Hospital.

Therese Razzante, NICU family support specialist at Cleveland Clinic Children’s said she thought the outfits were a “great way to make this a special day for our babies and their families, so they have something memorable to look back on.” 

“How lucky for our current NICU babies that they showed up just in time for a once in a lifetime celestial event like the solar eclipse!,” said another registered nurse at the clinic, Kelly Rushe.

NASA's SDO spacecraft captured details of the sun during the partial eclipse on August 21, 2017.

A total solar eclipse offers a unique opportunity to see the corona, the sun’s outer atmosphere. It’s not usually visible because the surface of the sun is much brighter, but with the moon blocking it during totality, the outer edge shines through.

Compared to the 2017 solar eclipse, the sun’s corona will be more active this year, according to NASA. That means there’s a better chance to see prominence — curls, loops and flares coming off of the sun from behind the moon.

This is because the sun was in a solar minimum cycle in 2017, meaning it was more magnetically balanced. In April 2024, the sun will be reaching its peak of solar maximum, known as Solar Cycle 25. Lucky for eclipse-watchers on Monday, Solar Cycle 25 is expected to put on a show.

The cycle has already been full of activity, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The increased animation has included strong solar flares and coronal mass ejections, or large clouds of ionized gas called plasma and magnetic fields that erupt from the sun’s outer atmosphere.

How it works: The gases in the sun are constantly moving. This causes the sun’s magnetic fields to stretch, NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center says. During every cycle, the magnetic field flips. When the magnetic fields change, so does the amount of activity on the surface of the sun, according to the agency.

CNN’s Ashley Strickland contributed reporting to this post.

The solar eclipse is seen in California, on August 21, 2017.

The only time it’s safe to view the sun without eye protection is during the “totality” of a total solar eclipse, or the brief moments when the moon completely blocks the light of the sun, according to NASA. Staring directly at the sun can result in blindness or disrupted vision.

During the 2017 total solar eclipse, a young woman was diagnosed with solar retinopathy, retinal damage from exposure to solar radiation, in both eyes after viewing the eclipse with what doctors believed were eclipse glasses not held to the safety standard.

There is no treatment for solar retinopathy. It can improve or worsen, but it is a permanent condition.

Remember: Sunglasses won’t work in place of eclipse glasses or solar viewers, which are 100,000 times darker and held to an international safety standard.

The lenses of solar eclipse glasses are made of black polymer, or resin infused with carbon particles, that blocks nearly all visible, infrared and ultraviolet light, according to The Planetary Society. Sunglasses don’t block infrared radiation.

Astrophotographer Stan Honda calls his first experience with a total solar eclipse "a pretty remarkable scene." It occurred in March 2015 in Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean.

Weather permitting, today’s total solar eclipse will be an incredible opportunity for photographers of any skill level. Stan Honda — an experienced astrophotographer who has captured three total solar eclipses — has some tips on how to make the moment last through images. All you need is a sturdy, steady tripod and a remote shutter release for your camera.

Krispy Kreme's "Total Solar Eclipse" specialty dozen.

From pizza to doughnuts to eyewear sellers, plenty of brands are trying to cash in on the rare total solar eclipse with special product promotions.

Krispy Kreme has created a “Total Solar Eclipse Doughnut” to mark the minutes-long event, while Pizza Hut has rolled out a “Total Eclipse of the Hut” deal on eclipse day, pricing any large-sized pizza for $12.

Even the most perfectly named, celestially inspired, snack — MoonPie — is in on the act with a limited edition boxed version of its cookie treat called “Solar Eclipse Survival Kits.”

This composite photo shows the progression of a total solar eclipse over Madras, Oregon, on Monday, Aug. 21, 2017.

It’s been nearly seven years since a total solar eclipse traced a path over the US – but if you thought you’d seen everything in 2017, astronomers are quick to remind us that these celestial events aren’t exactly alike.

The 2017 eclipse began in Oregon and ended in South Carolina, while this year’s eclipse will move in the opposite direction, beginning in Texas and covering more ground.

More people will be able to see the 2024 eclipse because the path of totality, or locations where people will witness the moon’s shadow completely covering the sun, will be wider.

This is all because of the moon.

The moon’s distance from Earth varies as it orbits our planet. And during the 2017 total solar eclipse, the moon was farther away from Earth and caused the area of totality to be narrower, extending from about 62 to 71 miles (100 to 114 kilometers) wide. But the moon will be closer to our planet during this year’s event, so the path its shadow will follow over North America is expected to stretch about 108 to 122 miles (174 to 196 kilometers) wide.

April’s eclipse will also have a longer period of totality than 2017 because of the moon’s proximity to Earth. Totality is one of the shortest phases of an eclipse, and its duration is dependent on the viewing location. Observers closest to the center of the path will experience the longest totality, and the length of that window decreases closer to the path’s edge.

In 2017, skygazers glimpsing the longest totality experienced it for 2 minutes and 42 seconds near Carbondale, Illinois.

Visitors look through a pair of oversized eclipse glasses set up in the town square in Houlton, Maine, on Sunday.

Thousands of keen spectators have arrived in the small Maine town of Houlton to get some of the best views of today’s eclipse.

Jane Torres, of the Greater Houlton Chamber of Commerce says already the crowds have exceeded expectations.

“We really didn’t even dare to hope that we would have weather like this, and the sky is blue and the crowds are actually beginning to form and it’s only quarter to six in the morning,” she told CNN’s This Morning. “This is the biggest thing we’ve ever seen.”

About 6,000 people call Houlton home, and Torres said there has been extensive organization to ensure the eclipse viewing goes smoothly — including providing an additional 100 portable toilets.

But for those wanting to see the eclipse in Houlton, Torres says you may want to remember your own glasses, with almost 59,000 pairs already snapped up by keen viewers.

“We actually ordered 60,000 pairs of glasses and we’re down to about… I’m going to say a thousand left, so we hope everybody brings some.”

As darkness envelops millions of people during Monday’s eclipse, spectators will hold their cellphones skyward to capture the moment. But could the surge in cell usage cause networks to go dark?

As eclipse tourists flock to city centers and rural towns, network providers and public officials say they are preparing for significant increases in traffic on cellular and Wi-Fi networks. Similar to a football game or a concert in a crowded stadium — the larger the crowd, the more difficult it can be to find a cell connection.

Major providers like AT&T and Verizon say their networks are prepared for bogged down cell service, but people traveling for the eclipse might want to download their navigation directions, in case of poor connection.

NASA’s Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera captured the moon casting a shadow during a solar eclipse on August 21, 2017.

NASA’s Eclipse Soundscapes Project will collect observations from the public on animal behaviors as well as human reactions to the eclipse through written multisensory reports — such as what the observer saw, heard or felt — and audio recordings of the environment during the solar event.

Total solar eclipses are infrequent events that provide scientists with rare opportunities to collect data on behavioral responses to the phenomenon, said Kelsey Perrett, communications coordinator for the Eclipse Soundscapes Project.

Nearly, 2,500 people have already signed up for the NASA project, she added. “When it comes to data, it’s the more the merrier. The more people who participate, the better we can answer our questions about how solar eclipses impact life on Earth.”

Special interest: The space agency’s researchers are particularly interested in studying crickets and other vocal nocturnal insects to find out whether they will begin chirping as the moon shrouds the sun, Perrett said.

Who can participate: The NASA project is open to all volunteer participants, including those who are blind or have low vision, according to the news release. What’s more, it’s not necessary to have an animal within eyesight to take good observations, as listening is also an important sense to use during the eclipse, said Dr. Bryan Pijanowski, professor of forestry and natural resources and the director for the Center for Global Soundscapes at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana

A multi-day flood threat is expected to begin across parts of the South on Monday, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). The flood threat on Monday could impact eclipse viewing and travel. 

A level 2 of 4 threat for excessive rainfall spreads from just east of Dallas to far western Mississippi, including Little Rock, which is in the path of the total eclipse.

A level 1 of 4 threat of excessive rainfall from central Texas to northern Arkansas, including Dallas. Fortunately, the solar eclipse is expected to peak before 3 p.m. EDT (2 p.m. CDT) for the region, which is before the heaviest rainfall is set to begin.

Most of Little Rock retains a high chance of viewing the eclipse, according to the NWS office in Little Rock.

Dallas has less favorable conditions, considering there will be experiencing mostly cloudy skies and could see a slight chance of a shower during the eclipse. 

Post-eclipse: While the heaviest rainfall is expected across the region after the eclipse, travelers to the city could see delays. The heaviest rainfall is expected to pick up Monday evening, where rainfall storm totals of 2-4 inches are possible. 

Flood watches are currently in place for parts of eastern Texas, southeastern Oklahoma, southern Arkansas, and northern Louisiana beginning Monday afternoon. Watches could be expanded in the coming hours. 

Read the latest forecast.

The jets have custom noses that can carry specialized scientific instruments.

A total solar eclipse gives scientists a unique opportunity to better understand our sun and attempt to unravel its biggest mysteries.

One such mystery is why the sun’s outer atmosphere, called the corona, is millions of degrees hotter than the sun’s actual surface.

During a total solar eclipse, the faint light of the corona becomes visible when the sun’s bright light is temporarily blocked from view.

NASA will fly WB-57 high-altitude planes to research aspects of the sun that is only possible during an eclipse.

The WB-57s can reach 60,000 to 65,000 feet (18,288 to 19,812 meters) above Earth’s surface, making it the workhorse of the NASA Airborne Science Program, said Peter Layshock, manager of NASA’s WB-57 High Altitude Research Program at Johnson Space Center in Houston.

A pilot and an equipment operator can fly above the clouds for about 6 ½ hours without refueling within the eclipse’s path of totality spanning Mexico and the US, allowing for a continuous and unobstructed view.

The scientific instruments aboard will be in the moon’s shadow for longer than they would be on the ground.

Two experiments will capture images and measure the temperature and chemical composition of the corona, as well as capture data about large bursts of solar material from the sun known as coronal mass ejections.

“Every eclipse gives you a new opportunity to expand upon things where you take what you learned at the last eclipse and you solve a new piece of the puzzle,” said Amir Caspi, a principal scientist at the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado.

Solar eclipse watchers were ecstatic as the clouds broke minutes before totality during the total solar eclipse in Isle of Palms, South Carolina, on August 21, 2017.

It’s midday, and the sun is high in the sky, a natural cyan canvas peppered with puffy, cauliflower-shaped clouds. With little warning, the clouds cluttering the horizon start to vanish before your eyes. Not long after, the world begins to darken, as the sun disappears from view.

For the entirety of the eclipse, the clouds will stay away.

That’s at least what scientists expect to take place in swaths of Mexico, Canada and the United States during April 8’s total solar eclipse. If weather permits, those living in the 49 US states where a partial eclipse is expected could also spot some clouds vanishing.

Here’s why that is: During an eclipse, shallow cumulus clouds start dissipating in large proportions when only a fraction of the sun is covered, and they don’t reform until the end of the event, according to a study published February 12 in the journal Nature Communications Earth & Environment. The research team found that cumulus clouds dissipate during eclipses because of the relationship between solar radiation and the formation processes of the clouds.

During an eclipse, the surface cools rapidly from the moon’s shadow blocking the sunlight, preventing warm air from rising from Earth’s surface — a core ingredient in the formation of cumulus clouds, according to Victor Trees, a doctoral candidate in the Netherlands who led the study. That rising air process leading to the production of clouds usually takes roughly 15 to 20 minutes, according to simulations.

But this doesn’t mean your vantage point of the forthcoming eclipse is guaranteed to be cloud-free as the research doesn’t apply to all clouds — only the shallow cumulus kind found hovering over land.

Grasshopper On Green Leaves.

During the Great American Eclipse of 2017, zoo animals acting strangely took researchers by surprise — the giraffes gathered and broke into a gallop, the Galápagos tortoises began to mate, and the gorillas started to get ready for bed.

These odd behaviors were just a few of several anomalies that scientists stationed at the Riverbanks Zoo and Garden in Columbia, South Carolina, observed during the historic solar event spanning the United States, according to a March 2020 report.

Reports of animals acting strangely during a solar eclipse date back hundreds of years, according to NASA, but the causes and effects of the unusual behaviors are not fully understood. The most consolidated study is from nearly 100 years ago, when a team of scientists led by entomologist William M. Wheeler collected almost 500 observations from the public.

Here’s some behaviors documented over the years:

Hikers watch a partial solar eclipse from Papago Park in Phoenix, on May 20, 2012.

Millions of people across Mexico, the United States and Canada will be able to see a total solar eclipse today — not to be confused with a lunar eclipse.

The difference is all about how the sun, the moon and Earth line up.

A solar eclipse happens when the moon is directly in front of the sun. In a total solar eclipse, like the one we’ll see today, the moon completely blocks out the sun, causing everything to go dark for a few minutes. 

In addition to total solar eclipses, there are three other types:

A lunar eclipse is the other way around: The Earth blocks the sun’s light from hitting the moon. This sometimes makes the moon look red because Earth’s atmosphere absorbs the other colors, according to NASA.

Eclipses are rare events because the moon does not orbit on the same plane as the Earth and the sun, NASA says. It is tilted at about 5 degrees. That’s why there isn’t a lunar eclipse every month — sometimes even when the moon is behind Earth, it can still get hit with some sunlight.

A digital sign along the Long Island Expressway advises drivers of the solar eclipse, in Medford, New York on April 2, 2024.

There was a significant increase in fatal car crashes in the United States around the time of the 2017 total solar eclipse, analysis shows.

The analysis, published as a research letter last month in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, found a 31% increase in traffic risks around the time of the eclipse, similar to the increase in risk around other holidays like Thanksgiving. In absolute terms, this is an average of 1 extra crash-involved person every 25 minutes and 1 extra crash fatality every 95 minutes.

Dr. Don Redelmeier, co-author of the analysis and professor of medicine at the University of Toronto, said that the heightened traffic risk is not due to the eclipse itself and the transient change in light but rather the increase in the number of people traveling.

An estimated 20 million people in the US traveled to another city to view the 2017 solar eclipse, according to the study.

People are more likely to be distracted, driving on unfamiliar roads and speeding to arrive at their destination on time, Redelmeier said.

They may also be intoxicated from eclipse-related celebrations or may choose to view the event from unsafe roadside locations, he added.

Locals and travelers from around the world gather on Menan Butte to watch the total solar eclipse, in Menan, Idaho, on August 21, 2017.

If you miss today’s eclipse, you’ll be waiting for a while for your next chance to see one on US soil. The next total solar eclipse won’t be visible across the contiguous United States again until August 2044.

Parts of Europe, including areas of Greenland, Iceland, Spain, Russia, and a small area of Portugal, will see the world’s next total solar eclipse on August 12, 2026, according to NASA.

And there will be annular solar eclipses — which are like total solar eclipses, except the moon is at the farthest point in its orbit from Earth, so it can’t completely block the sun — even sooner.

An annular solar eclipse will be visible in South America later this year on October 2. There will be another one in February 2026 for parts of Antarctica.

Signage announcing the upcoming total solar eclipse hangs in downtown Erie, Pennsylvania.

Almost every American will be able to see at least part of today’s solar eclipse.

32 million people in the US live along the path of totality, where the moon will appear to entirely block the sun.

And people outside the path of totality will still be able to see a partial solar eclipse, where the moon only blocks part of the sun’s face.

A whopping 99% of those living across the US, including parts of Hawaii and Alaska, will be able to glimpse at least a partial solar eclipse without having to travel.

The moon moves in front of the sun during the solar eclipse in Salem, Oregon, on August 21, 2017.

The wait is nearly over. Almost seven years since a total solar eclipse arced over the US, it’s time to grab your eclipse glasses and enjoy watching one of the best celestial shows in the sky.

A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between Earth and the sun, completely blocking the sun’s face.

Those within the path of totality, or locations where the moon will completely cover the sun, will see a total solar eclipse. People outside the path of totality will still be able to see a partial solar eclipse, where the moon only blocks part of the sun’s face.

During a total solar eclipse, the sky will darken as it would at dawn or dusk.

It all begins with a partial solar eclipse, where it looks like the moon is taking a “bite” out of the sun.