Rare total solar eclipse arrives soon. How close is your PA location to the best view?

A rare astronomical event this spring will briefly darken the sky for millions of Americans.

A total solar eclipse will cross much of North America throughout the day Monday, April 8, NASA reports. The eclipse is the first of its kind visible in the U.S. since 2017 and just the second of that type to occur in the last century.

Here’s what you need to know if you’re planning to catch a glimpse of the coming total solar eclipse. After all, you won’t get to see another like it on American soil until August 2044.

What is a total solar eclipse?

In general terms, a solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the Earth and sun and projects a shadow back on the Earth’s surface. In some cases, these shadows can briefly block out the sun’s rays for a short while.

A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and Earth and, due to its positioning between them, completely blocks out the face of the sun for those on Earth who are located in the center of the moon’s shadow. This darkens the sky “as if it were dawn or dusk,” NASA writes.

Those located in the path of the moon’s shadow during a total solar eclipse — better known as the path of totality — can see the sun’s corona, or its outer atmosphere, which is usually obscured by the celestial body’s bright light. Additionally, those viewing the eclipse from the path of totality can safely look at the eclipse without eye protection while the moon completely blocks out the sun.

Total solar eclipses are not the same as partial eclipses, which occur when the sun, moon and Earth are not precisely aligned. An annular eclipse, which occurred for the U.S. in October, happens when the moon is farther away from the Earth in its elliptical path, preventing it from blocking out the entire sun. A lunar eclipse, meanwhile, is rare and occurs when the moon appears darkened as it passes into the Earth’s shadow.

Can I see April 8’s eclipse in Pennsylvania?

Yes, but you might need to travel a bit to catch the best view.

NASA expects April’s solar eclipse to begin over the South Pacific Ocean and move up North America, starting in southwestern Mexico and wrapping up through Maine and into Canada before exiting the continent through the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland.

The eclipse’s path across the U.S. will, in order, cross through the following states: Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, plus small parts of Tennessee and Michigan. Canadian locales like Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton will also wind up in the eclipse’s path.

According to NASA’s projections, the path of totality will cross over Erie, and much of the northwestern edge of Pennsylvania between roughly 3:15 and 3:20 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. Remember, though: Daylight saving time does not begin until 2 a.m. Sunday, March 10, so be sure to factor in the shifting hour as we “spring forward” when making your travel plans.

NASA expects partial obscuration in the Erie area to begin around 2:02 p.m. before finishing around 4:30 p.m. Maximum obscuration in the area is anticipated at 3:18 p.m.

Partial obscuration should begin in the State College area around 2:04 p.m. before reaching its maximum eclipse at about 3:20 p.m. and concluding entirely at roughly 4:32 p.m., according to eclipse estimates.

When finding a place to view the eclipse within the path of totality, try to get as close to the middle of the projected path as possible, NASA says. This will increase the totality’s length, topping out at around four minutes of blocked-out sunlight.

Those who find themselves outside the path of totality can still view the eclipse, but it will not completely block out the sun’s light. Lines on maps provided by NASA indicate roughly how much of the sun’s surface should be covered by the moon, ranging from about 95% down to roughly 10% obscuration. Those near State College and central Pennsylvania should see obscuration of roughly 95%, while the Philadelphia area’s obscuration lowers to about 90%.

You can browse maps and projections of the eclipse’s path through NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio by visiting svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/5123.

How is this total solar eclipse different than 2017’s?

According to NASA, the coming eclipse will offer a wider path of totality than 2017’s counterpart because the moon will sit a bit closer to Earth in its orbit. April’s eclipse will produce a path of totality over North America stretching roughly 108 to 122 miles wide — far larger than 2017’s path, which ranged between about 62 and 71 miles wide.

The coming total solar eclipse will pass over more populated parts of the country than 2017’s event, as well, NASA reports. The agency estimates roughly 31.6 million people live in the 2024 eclipse’s path of totality, again marking an increase from 12 million in 2017.

About 150 million additional people live within 200 miles of the 2024 eclipse’s path of totality, NASA says. Roughly 99% of people in the U.S. will have the opportunity to see a partial or total eclipse from where they live.

Totality during the coming eclipse is expected to last longer than it did in 2017. NASA forecasts maximum totality duration for the eclipse will top out at about four minutes and 28 seconds in north-central Mexico, marking an increase over the two minutes and 42 seconds of maximum totality recorded near Carbondale, Ill., during 2017’s eclipse.

The sun’s magnetic field flips approximately every 11 years, producing a cycle of increasing and decreasing solar activity, NASA writes. The sun is now entering solar maximum, which should produce more striking visuals, including solar prominences that may appear as “bright, pink curls or loops coming off the sun.”

How can I safely watch a solar eclipse?

While seeing a rare astronomical phenomenon is exciting, you must take precautions before looking up at the sky.

You should never look directly at the sun without appropriate protective eye gear, NASA warns. That applies to a solar eclipse unless you are viewing the sun while its light is completely blocked out by the sun.

“Except during the brief total phase of a total solar eclipse, when the moon completely blocks the sun’s bright face, it is not safe to look directly at the sun without specialized eye protection for solar viewing,” NASA writes. “Viewing any part of the bright sun through a camera lens, binoculars or a telescope without a special-purpose solar filter secured over the front of the optics will instantly cause severe eye injury.”

One of the simplest ways to safely view a solar eclipse is through specialty glasses, which are generally inexpensive and available online. Additionally, the American Astronomical Society offers its own list of reputable eclipse glasses vendors. You can even gather materials around the house and craft your own pair.

NASA recommends using a pinhole projector to view an eclipse indirectly. Create your own pair by poking a hole in a sheet of paper, such as an index card, and letting the sunlight shine through the hole to create a shadow of the eclipse on the ground.

You can create your own projector using a cardboard box, a white sheet of paper, aluminum foil, tape and scissors, the agency says.

Begin by taping the white paper on the inside end of the box and, on the other end, cutting out part of it and covering it with aluminum foil, leaving a small hole poked out. Cut out a section to view from on the other side of that end. Once the eclipse arrives, look through the viewpoint and face away from the sun. You should see the sunlight hit the small hole in the aluminum foil and create a shadow on the white paper inside the box.

NASA generally provides online streams of eclipses as they become visible across the U.S. Those streams, usually viewable on the agency’s website and through its YouTube page, should become available as April 8’s eclipse gets closer.