We're almost there.
In just two days, and for only the second time in seven years, day will suddenly turn to night for a few short, brilliant minutes, as the orbiting moon blocks sunlight along a southwest-northeast path across the continent.
Meteorologists continue to improve their predictions for a total solar eclipse, and they now have a good idea of where the view will be most (and least) visible.
These are the latest predictions:
Where will the solar eclipse be visible?
Fed forecasters said Friday afternoon The best chances for a clear view of the total eclipse are in “northern New England and from southern Missouri to central Indiana.”
Outside the path of totality, which extends from Texas to Maine, “the best viewing locations should be across the southwest, out in the mountains.” Accuweather Other good locations include “California, again, out in the mountains, New England, parts of the mid-Atlantic and the Southeast,” said Paul Pastelok, lead long-term forecaster.
“Cities like Los Angeles, El Paso, New York, Boston and Raleigh should have beautiful views of the eclipse from start to finish,” he added.
Where will it be cloudy?
Unfortunately for people in the path of totality, “clouds may obstruct views from Texas to Arkansas, and possibly into Ohio, northwestern Pennsylvania, and western New York.” Weather Prediction Center He said. “Showers are also possible throughout these areas.”
Elsewhere, for partial eclipses, Accuweather “Other areas with poor viewing conditions will be from Wisconsin west through South Dakota and Nebraska to Washington and Oregon,” added long-range expert Joe Lundberg.
What time is a solar eclipse?
The eclipse will begin in Texas at 1:27 PM EST and end in Maine at 3:35 PM EST, but the exact time of the eclipse varies depending on where you are in its path. You can search by zip code to find the exact time for your location.
What is the path of totalitarianism?
The path of a total eclipse is the area where people on Earth can see the Moon completely covering the Sun when the Moon's shadow falls on them. Space.com describes it as “the inner shadow (umbra) of the cone-shaped Moon projected onto the Earth's surface.”
NASA said that to see all phases of a total solar eclipse, you must view it from somewhere along this total path. Viewers outside this narrow, approximately 115-mile-wide path will not be able to see a partial solar eclipse.
You probably don't have to worry about your dogs and cats during the eclipse
Don't worry, your dog and/or cat will likely be oblivious to the eclipse, according to space. PascoScience Education Company.
“Dogs and cats are less likely to react to a solar eclipse, because they typically do not have a strong biological or behavioral response to changes in light or natural phenomena like eclipses,” Pascoe says.
Just in case, Pascoe recommends keeping your pets inside during the eclipse and distracting them with toys or treats. The same thing works for people if necessary.
Eclipse boosts travel as Americans chase rare celestial event
The upcoming eclipse is proving to be a good omen for travel companies, as some parts of the United States that lie in the “path of totality” are seeing unprecedented lodging demand from eager Americans waiting to catch a glimpse of the celestial event.
Vacation rental company Airbnb said Airbnb listings along the U.S. Total Path, or the narrow strip from Texas to Maine where people will be able to see the sun's corona, saw occupancy levels spike to nearly 90%.
The occupancy rate for all active rental listings across the route in the U.S., Canada and Mexico was 92.4% on the night of April 7, up sharply from about 30% a few days earlier, according to travel data firm AirDNA.
“It's a nice increase in demand for a relatively slow time of year. April is typically not a high point for short-term rental demand,” said Jamie Lin, chief economist at AirDNA.
Contributing: Reuters
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