News

Illinois has prime seats to see the total solar eclipse Aug. 21

By Madeline Kenney

Bob Baer of SIU took this photo of an eclipse in Indonesia last year. The Citizen CATE project is enlisting amateur astronomers to position themselves along the 2,500 mile route of the eclipse as it cross the USA in August, creating a 90 minute high quality film of the solar corona, something never done before.

For the first time in nearly a century, a total solar eclipse will be visible across the United States, and Illinois is one of the best areas to see it.

A total solar eclipse is when the moon completely covers the sun and only the sun’s corona can be seen.

Southern Illinois will have a first-rate view of the total solar eclipse on Aug. 21, according to NASA.

Carbondale, Illinois will be able to view the eclipse for roughly four hours, but the totality will last for only 2 minutes and 30 seconds, according to NASA.

This is a map depicting the total solar eclipse viewing corridor. | Courtesy of NASA

Illinois is just one of 14 states that will witness the total solar eclipse. Here’s a list the the other areas the totality can be seen and their times.

Courtesy of NASA

The total solar eclipse next month will be the first one across North America since 1918.

The first U.S. sighting will be in Lincoln Beach, Oregon at 11:05 a.m. CT and will be last seen in Charleston, South Carolina at 3:06 p.m. CT.

NASA will have a live stream of the event here.

Follow me on Twitter: @madkenney

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