The “Great American Eclipse” in August promises to be the greatest astronomical event of the year. But there is another that will happen sooner than you think.
The main solar eclipse will conquer the entire United States. But if you do not live nearby, then you may not have enough time to book a ticket at the hotel. Reports indicate that in places like Oregon (where it’s best to watch) everything is already taken until August 21.
So you might already be late. But do not despair. Tyler Nordgren said that it is worth waiting for only 7 years, and you will see a total solar eclipse from the mainland USA.
And this is a completely new direction. If in 2017 it moves across the states between Oregon and North Carolina, then the eclipse of 2024 will move from Mexico through Texas, and then will cover part of Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Mississippi, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York State , Virginia and Maine.
“I'm sure no one wants to miss the event of 2024,” says Nordgren, an astronomer at the University of Redlands in California, who watched five solar eclipses and made plans to catch him in 2017 in Oregon.
The eclipse of 2024 should be seen from Niagara Falls
If everything is fine with the weather (New York is not very favorable for observations in April), then the best place to watch is Niagara Falls. Canadians will also be able to see an eclipse from the border, providing potentially amazing views when the shadow passes through three waterfalls on either side.
Beautiful views will provide San Antonio, Austin, Dallas, Indianapolis, Cleveland, Buffalo, Rochester and Montreal (cities of Canada). Houston, Oklahoma City, St. Louis, Zincinati, Columbus, Detroit and Canadian Toronto and Ottawa are located nearby.
But Nordgren calls for opportunities to look at this year’s event. Every American can enjoy at least part of the performance.
“No generation has yet experienced such a shared experience,” he says. “Since the landing on the moon in 1969, the nation has not yet been united in a single view.”
