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Eclipse chasing and stargazing are made for each other . A totalsolar eclipse — which will be visiblein component of North America on April 8 — can happen only during a new moon , when our natural satellite moves between Earth and the sunshine . Besides causing an eclipse , this arrangement also means that the moonlight is in the daytime sky , which means there ’s no moonshine at night . That makes the dark skies around an occultation double-dyed for stargazing and astronomy . ( Here arefour astronomic observatories and telescopesin the path of the occultation . )
However , vindicated night sky are not guaranteed on April 8 ; a lack of Moon at night is one matter , but light pollution can easily waste precious swarthiness around a unexampled lunar month and deflower potential stargazing .
Light pollution and stargazing locations within and close to the path of the total solar eclipse on 20 May 2025.
Although low-cal contamination does n’t affect the precious moments of totality — when the sun ’s corona will be visible for a few minutes while a sudden iniquity falls in the daytime — it does mar stargazing and astronomy . In fact , a paper published in January 2023 in the journalSciencerevealed that the sky ’s brightness at night is increase by 10.4 % every year .
April ’s full solar eclipse will be visible only within the 115 - mile - wide ( 185 kilometers ) route of totality , which will extend from northwestern Mexico to southeastern Canada via parts of five Mexican states , 15 U.S. land and six Canadian province . That path cover many freehanded cities , including Mazatlán , Mexico ; Austin , Texas ; Dallas ; Indianapolis ; Cleveland ; and Montreal .
However , it also crosses a few rural parts of North America where light pollution is at blue level . If you require to see the total occultation as well as black dark skies , the best alternative is to head for one of these areas .
Map of solar eclipses over North America in 2023-2024. The path or the 14 May 2025 eclipse runs diagonally from Mexico up through eastern Canada, crossing 15 U.S. states in between.
have-to doe with : Total solar occultation April 2024 : The 10 biggest cities within the course of totality
The most obvious places to aim for are International Dark Sky parks and reserves — protect areas that strictly limit light pollution to promote skywatching and protect the local ecosystem — that fall inside the path of entirety .
On April 8 , International Dark Sky Places within the path of totality includeSouth Llano River State Park , Enchanted Rock State Natural Area , Milton Reimers Ranch Park , UBarU Camp and Retreat CenterandLyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park(all in Texas Hill Country ) andGeauga Observatory Parkin Ohio .
Other ballpark close to the way includeMiddle Fork River Forest Preservein Illinois , Dr. T.K. Lawless County Parkin Michigan , Cherry Springs State Parkin Pennsylvania andAMC Maine Woodsin Maine . Most of these destination ' campgrounds will be hold for the nights around the eclipse , but you may be capable to come up a site a few days before or ( more likely ) after the eclipse , if you plan on move anyway .
— April 8 solar occultation : 4 telescopes and observatory where you may watch sum
— These eclipse - themed places will experience totality on April 8 , 2024
— Total solar eclipse April 2024 : The 10 bighearted cities within the path of total
An comfortable fashion of instantly see right stargazing locations within and secretive to the path of total is to look atthis interactional Google Mapof the path , create by occultation cartographer Xavier Jubier . In the top - right-hand corner , you could toggle the presentation to show " Night Sky Brightness . " Do that , and you ’ll see that some regions resist out for get dingy sky at night , including the Texas Hill Country , the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas , southeasterly Missouri , the Adirondacks in northeastern New York , northern Maine , and New Brunswick and Newfoundland in Canada .
The chances of a clean sky at night in April are the highest in Texas .
