Parts of the U.S. will have prime seats in a few weeks for the celestial event of the year, a total solar eclipse.
The eclipse will take place on Monday, Aug. 21, when the moon moves in between the sun and the Earth.
The moon will be positioned so that it almost totally blots out the sun — for those lucky enough to be in the path of totality. Other locations, including Alabama, will get to see a partial eclipse, where the sun is partially obscured.
It’s been a while since a total solar eclipse was visible to so many in the United States.
Here are some things to know:
- This is the first time since 1979 that a total eclipse has crossed the United States and the first time since 1918 that one will travel from coast to coast.
- Everyone in the 50 states will be able to experience at least a partial eclipse, weather permitting.
- No other country falls in the path of the total eclipse, according to NOAA.
- Day will turn to night only in what’s called “the path of totality.” That path will be approximately 70 miles wide and stretch from Oregon to South Carolina.
- The farther away from the path of totality, the less the moon will cover the sun from the viewer’s standpoint. Most people will see a partial eclipse.
- The path of totality will pass through five state capitals on its trek (from west to east): Salem, Ore.; Lincoln, Neb.; Jefferson City, Mo.; Nashville and Columbia, S.C.
- The lunar shadow, according to NASA, will first enter the U.S. near Lincoln City, Ore., at 9:05 a.m. PDT (or 11:05 p.m. CDT). Totality will begin there at 10:16 a.m. PDT (or 12:16 p.m. CDT).
- The total eclipse will end in Charleston, S.C., at 2:48 p.m. EDT (1:48 p.m. CDT).
- The sun will be completely blocked by the moon for up to 2 minutes and 40 seconds, depending on where you are.
- You can look at the sun during the eclipse, but ONLY when the moon has fully blocked its light, according to NASA. More from NASA: “When the bright photosphere of the sun is completely covered, only the faint light from the corona is visible, and this radiation is too weak to have any harmful effects on the human retina.”
- The next total solar eclipse visible from the continental U.S. will be on April 8, 2024.
- At any spot on Earth a total eclipse happens only once every 100 years or so, according to NASA.
- NASA did the math, and found that every 1,000 years there will be 840 partial eclipses, 791 annular eclipses, 635 total eclipses and 114 hybrid eclipses. That works out to 2-3 eclipses of all kinds each year, and about two total solar eclipses every three years.
Here are the mid-eclipse times for 102 Alabama cities, along with the portion of the sun that will be blocked out:
Gulf Shores – 1:34:36 pm CDT – 80.2% of the sun
Orange Beach – 1:34:58 pm CDT – 80.5% of the sun
Foley – 1:34:28 pm CDT – 80.6% of the sun
Fairhope – 1:34:01 pm CDT – 80.7% of the sun
Mobile – 1:33:17 pm CDT – 81.1% of the sun
Daphne – 1:33:50 pm CDT – 81.2% of the sun
Saraland – 1:32:54 pm CDT – 81.6% of the sun
Atmore – 1:33:52 pm CDT – 83.6% of the sun
Flomaton – 1:34:34 pm CDT – 83.6% of the sun
Monroeville – 1:33:45 pm CDT – 85.1% of the sun
Andalusia – 1:35:54 pm CDT – 85.7% of the sun
Elba – 1:36:36 pm CDT – 86.8% of the sun
Enterprise – 1:37:15 pm CDT – 86.8% of the sun
Dothan – 1:38:31 pm CDT – 87.2% of the sun
Fort Rucker – 1:37:35 pm CDT – 87.2% of the sun
Greenville – 1:34:50 pm CDT – 87.2% of the sun
Demopolis – 1:31:04 pm CDT – 87.3% of the sun
Ozark – 1:37:32 pm CDT – 87.7% of the sun
Troy – 1:36:15 pm CDT – 88.2% of the sun
Abbeville – 1:38:14 pm CDT – 88.8% of the sun
Selma – 1:32:54 pm CDT – 88.8% of the sun
Montgomery – 1:34:36 pm CDT – 89.6% of the sun
Prattville – 1:34:16 pm CDT – 89.8% of the sun
Brent – 1:31:48 pm CDT – 89.9% of the sun
Tuscaloosa – 1:30:41 pm CDT – 90.2% of the sun
Centreville – 1:32:06 pm CDT – 90.3% of the sun
Wetumpka – 1:34:53 pm CDT – 90.3% of the sun
Clanton – 1:33:16 pm CDT – 90.6% of the sun
Tuskegee – 1:36:01 pm CDT – 90.7% of the sun
Tallassee – 1:35:13 pm CDT – 90.8% of the sun
Jemison – 1:32:52 pm CDT – 90.9% of the sun
Eclectic – 1:34:51 pm CDT – 91.1% of the sun
Montevallo – 1:32:18 pm CDT – 91.1% of the sun
Northport – 1:30:22 pm CDT – 91.1% of the sun
Calera – 1:32:43 pm CDT – 91.4% of the sun
Alabaster – 1:32:24 pm CDT – 91.6% of the sun
Helena – 1:32:05 pm CDT – 91.6% of the sun
Auburn – 1:36:12 pm CDT – 91.7% of the sun
Shelby – 1:33:07 pm CDT – 91.7% of the sun
Columbiana – 1:32:48 pm CDT – 91.9% of the sun
Alexander City – 1:34:41 pm CDT – 92% of the sun
Bessemer – 1:31:48 pm CDT – 92% of the sun
Opelika – 1:36:10 pm CDT 92.1 – 92.1% of the sun
Pelham – 1:32:22 pm CDT – 92.1% of the sun
Phenix City – 1:37:15 pm CDT – 92.1% of the sun
Chelsea – 1:32:33 pm CDT – 92.2% of the sun
Fairfield – 1:31:46 pm CDT – 92.3% of the sun
Pleasant Grove – 1:31:37 pm CDT – 92.3% of the sun
Sylacauga – 1:33:38 pm CDT – 92.3% of the sun
Childersburg – 1:33:15 pm CDT – 92.4% of the sun
Adamsville – 1:31:25 pm CDT – 92.6% of the sun
Birmingham – 1:31:56 pm CDT – 92.6% of the sun
Harpersville – 1:33:00 pm CDT – 92.6% of the sun
Fultondale – 1:31:46 pm CDT – 92.9% of the sun
Hamilton – 1:28:29 pm CDT – 92.9% of the sun
Jasper – 1:30:29 pm CDT – 92.9% of the sun
Leeds – 1:32:29 pm CDT – 93.1% of the sun
Gardendale – 1:31:37 pm CDT – 93.2% of the sun
Talladega – 1:33:48 pm CDT – 93.3% of the sun
Hackleburg – 1:28:41 pm CDT – 93.5% of the sun
Trussville – 1:32:17 pm CDT – 93.5% of the sun
Pinson – 1:31:58 pm CDT – 93.6% of the sun
Odenville – 1:32:33 pm CDT – 93.7% of the sun
Pell City – 1:32:54 pm CDT – 93.8% of the sun
Haleyville – 1:29:19 pm CDT – 93.9% of the sun
Red Bay – 1:27:48 pm CDT – 93.9% of the sun
Phil Campbell – 1:28:50 pm CDT – 94.1% of the sun
Springville – 1:32:19 pm CDT – 94.1% of the sun
Hanceville – 1:31:11 pm CDT – 94.3% of the sun
Russellville – 1:28:16 pm CDT – 94.3% of the sun
Oxford – 1:33:56 pm CDT – 94.4% of the sun
Anniston – 1:33:44 pm CDT – 94.5% of the sun
Oneonta – 1:32:06 pm CDT – 94.6% of the sun
Cullman – 1:31:10 pm CDT – 94.7% of the sun
Blountsville – 1:31:40 pm CDT – 94.9% of the sun
Moulton – 1:29:35 pm CDT – 94.9% of the sun
Tuscumbia – 1:28:16 pm CDT – 95% of the sun
Holly Pond – 1:31:26 pm CDT – 95.2% of the sun
Jacksonville – 1:33:39 pm CDT – 95.3% of the sun
Sheffield – 1:28:19 pm CDT – 95.4% of the sun
Florence – 1:28:19 pm CDT – 95.5% of the sun
Gadsden – 1:33:03 pm CDT – 95.5% of the sun
Hartselle – 1:30:22 pm CDT – 95.5% of the sun
Muscle Shoals – 1:28:36 pm CDT – 95.6% of the sun
Trinity – 1:29:46 pm CDT – 95.6% of the sun
Arab – 1:31:28 pm CDT – 95.7% of the sun
Boaz – 1:32:28 pm CDT – 95.7% of the sun
Decatur – 1:29:59 pm CDT – 95.9% of the sun
Guntersville – 1:31:48 pm CDT – 96.1% of the sun
Rogersville – 1:29:02 pm CDT – 96.2% of the sun
Albertville – 1:32:09 pm CDT – 96.3% of the sun
Athens – 1:29:36 pm CDT – 96.3% of the sun
Madison – 1:30:21 pm CDT – 96.3% of the sun
Huntsville – 1:30:52 pm CDT – 96.9% of the sun
Harvest – 1:30:14 pm CDT – 97% of the sun
Fort Payne – 1:33:02 pm CDT – 97.2% of the sun
Ardmore – 1:29:57 pm CDT – 97.4% of the sun
Scottsboro – 1:31:40 pm CDT – 97.5% of the sun
Hazel Green – 1:30:24 pm CDT – 97.6% of the sun
Mentone – 1:33:08 pm CDT – 97.8% of the sun
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