Special Event

An annular solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth while at its farthest point from Earth. Because the Moon is farther away from Earth, it does not completely block the Sun. This will create a "ring of fire" effect in the sky for those standing in the path of annularity. During an annular eclipse, it is never safe to look directly at the Sun without specialized eye protection designed for solar viewing. Location Partial Eclipse Begins Annularity Begins Maximum Annularity Ends Partial Eclipse Ends Lakeway, Texas 10:23 a.m. CDT 11:52 a.m. CDT 11:54 a.m. CDT 11:56 a.m. CDT 1:33 p.m. CDT

The sun is 400 times bigger than the moon, but it’s also 400 times farther away from us—a glorious cosmic coincidence that has the moon precisely covering the sun’s face when the two align. The result is a total solar eclipse. The alignment is visible only within a narrow band, the path of totality, which will arc across North America on April 8. (The last total eclipse on the continent was in August 2017.) More than 40 million people live within the totality path, and millions more are a few hours away. Spring weather will affect visibility; much of the northeastern U.S. and maritime Canada tends to be cloudy this time of year. Remember that “no one who has ever traveled to see totality has regretted the effort.” PATH OF TOTALITY The moon’s shadow hits land in Sinaloa, Mexico, and runs up to Labrador, Canada, crossing the continent in just an hour and 35 minutes. Within the shaded region, totality lasts longest at the centerline, reaching four and a half minutes in some places.