The Path of an Eclipse
The path of a total solar eclipse is the area on the surface of the earth that will be under the moon's shadow throughout the event. Mathematics predicts the both the timing and the location of the shadow's path very precisely. This is represented by the yellow curves on the motion maps below, which show three of the eclipses featured in this article. Note that the dark, circular lunar shadow determines the overall path. This shadow, the umbra, means there will be a totally eclipsed sun for anybody along the path. Note also the circular shadow gradient extending from the umbra toward the large moving circle drawn on the maps. This gradually lighter shadow, the penumbra, covers viewers across the continents where the eclipse will be seen only partially. As such, the closer one is to the solid umbral shadow, the more of the sun will be blocked by our moon.
The first map (left) shows the path for the August 2017 TOTAL eclipse, pictured earlier in our article. Tracing a path west to east across the middle of North America, I began my eclipse "chase" the day prior by heading north through Arkansas (where I picked up a dear friend) and then to Missouri, where I hoped to intercept the eclipse path. However, weather had a different plan for me, requiring me to drive east over night toward Kentucky, where a clear weather window would be. I settled in a Walmart parking lot in Hopkinsville, Kentucky with nearly 200 other chasers. The city of nearly 31,000 people swelled to over 100,000 people, according to city government estimates. This illustrates the economic impact that such an eclipse event can have on a location, which must be taken into account when planning your "chase."
We were rewarded with the most incredible experience, which also offered the longest duration of totality of anywhere along the eclipse path, making Hopkinsville one of the more desired locations to be.
In total, it is estimated that 12.25 million people lived within the path of this eclipse, with an estimated 21 million others traveling to the eclipse path to see totality. Compare that with 31 million people living with the eclipse path for the April 2024 Total Solar Eclipse, as shown on the map at right. It's an enormous number and something to keep in mind when planning for the April 2024 event. In fact, almost ALL lodging or visitor accommodations will have been reserved up to a year prior to the event. This path of totality will cross over the United States from the tip of Baja Mexico, through the heart of Texas, and up through Maine in the northeast part of the country. Texas will be host to the longest duration of totally, which is approximately 4 and 1/2 minutes.
The first map (left) shows the path for the August 2017 TOTAL eclipse, pictured earlier in our article. Tracing a path west to east across the middle of North America, I began my eclipse "chase" the day prior by heading north through Arkansas (where I picked up a dear friend) and then to Missouri, where I hoped to intercept the eclipse path. However, weather had a different plan for me, requiring me to drive east over night toward Kentucky, where a clear weather window would be. I settled in a Walmart parking lot in Hopkinsville, Kentucky with nearly 200 other chasers. The city of nearly 31,000 people swelled to over 100,000 people, according to city government estimates. This illustrates the economic impact that such an eclipse event can have on a location, which must be taken into account when planning your "chase."
We were rewarded with the most incredible experience, which also offered the longest duration of totality of anywhere along the eclipse path, making Hopkinsville one of the more desired locations to be.
In total, it is estimated that 12.25 million people lived within the path of this eclipse, with an estimated 21 million others traveling to the eclipse path to see totality. Compare that with 31 million people living with the eclipse path for the April 2024 Total Solar Eclipse, as shown on the map at right. It's an enormous number and something to keep in mind when planning for the April 2024 event. In fact, almost ALL lodging or visitor accommodations will have been reserved up to a year prior to the event. This path of totality will cross over the United States from the tip of Baja Mexico, through the heart of Texas, and up through Maine in the northeast part of the country. Texas will be host to the longest duration of totally, which is approximately 4 and 1/2 minutes.
In the center map, we see the path for the ANNULAR solar eclipse which occurred this past October 14, 2023. This eclipse, so named after the annulus of light that appears at maximum eclipse, traced a path across North America from northwest to southeast, cutting through west Texas just after noon local time. At over 5 minutes of "annularity," seeing the sun shining around the moon's silhouette as a RING OF FIRE is nothing short of incredible. I intercepted this eclipse path in Midland, Texas, where I set up at a park, where the neighboring planetarium had a variety of public activities, guest speakers, and eclipse viewings.