Editor’s note: This story is part of The Dallas Morning News’ coverage of the 2024 total solar eclipse. For more, visit dallasnews.com/eclipse.
A total solar eclipse will sweep across a large swath of North America next month, darkening daytime skies in a rare spectacle.
The eclipse will pass through Mexico before entering the U.S. through Texas on April 8, stretching across the Midwest and East Coast.
Millions of Americans are expected to travel for the eclipse, and many will come to Texas, where parts of the state lie in the eclipse’s path of totality.
But for those who miss the event, when will the next full solar eclipse happen?
After 2024, it will be 20 years before another total solar eclipse comes to the United States. According to NASA, the next total solar eclipse that can be seen from the contiguous U.S. will be Aug. 23, 2044.
That eclipse will begin in Greenland and sweep through Canada, with its path of totality touching only three U.S. states: Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota, the nonprofit Planetary Society says on its website.
Then on Aug. 12, 2045, a total solar eclipse will stretch from California to Florida, with the tip of the Texas Panhandle in the path of totality, according to National Eclipse, an independent online resource.
Solar eclipses actually happen relatively often but are only visible at specific locations on the planet. Not all those locations are easy to reach, especially since 71% of Earth is covered by water.
The last total solar eclipse visible in the U.S. took place Aug. 21, 2017. Dallas was last in an eclipse’s path of totality on July 29, 1878, and won’t be again for nearly 300 years, in 2317.
What is a total solar eclipse?
A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the Earth and sun, casting a shadow that can partially or totally block the sun’s light. Texas experienced a partial eclipse in October known as the “ring of fire,” though it looked more like a crescent in local skies.
At approximately 12:23 p.m. April 8 in Dallas, the moon will begin to cover the sun, with totality — or total coverage of the sun — beginning around 1:40 p.m. and ending around 4 minutes later. The moon will then move away from the sun, with the spectacle ending around 3:02 p.m. Exact timing will depend on location in the metroplex.
For a brief time, daylight will dim and stars could be visible in the midday sky.
