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In just over two months, what's being called the astronomy event of the decade will occur when a total solar eclipse will cross North America, passing over Mexico, the United States, and Canada.
Mark your calendar now for Monday, April 8 with four-minute totality duration beginning at 3:13 p.m. Eastern time.
A total solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the sun and earth, completely blocking the face of the sun and the sky will darken as if it were dawn or dusk.
According to space.com, it will be "the longest and most visible for the US in 100 years," with a four-minute duration expected.
For a look at the projected path of totality of the eclipse, along with historical chances for cloud cover for that time of year, click on the first image above from AccuWeather.com.
The visibility for this year's eclipse will cover more of the Northeast than the last eclipse, on Aug. 21, 2017. (See a comparison by clicking on the second image above and in this review by NASA.)
"Because the Moon lies a little closer to the Earth during totality in 2024 (as compared to totality in 2017), it will appear just a bit larger in the sky," according to eclipse2024.org.
Many of North America's largest cities will be directly in the path of totality, including Dallas, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Buffalo, San Antonio, Toronto, and Montreal will be directly in the path of totality.
"People in some of the country's largest cities, including Chicago and New York City, can drive just a few hours to get to the narrow zone where the total eclipse can be seen," according to AccuWeather.com.
For a look at the best places to view the eclipse, check this map from Scientific America.
Three locations in New York -- Niagara Falls, Buffalo, and Plattsburgh, are in a ranking of the Top 20 places to view the eclipse from astronomy.com, click here.
According to NASA, safety is the top priority when viewing a total solar eclipse.
"Be sure you're familiar with when you need to wear specialized eye protection designed for solar viewing," according to NASA.
For safety guidelines from NASA, click here.
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