This coming total solar eclipse occurs in April, when the weather across North America is famously changeable. Texas and Arkansas have a 50/50 chance of clear skies, while in the northeast, it’s about 30/70. Either way, anything could happen on the day, and you may experience totality under clouds of some kind.
Don’t despair, because there are many wonders that you can still experience. One of those is the moon’s central shadow—it’s umbra.
Darkness In The Day
Sure, a naked-eye view of the eclipsed sun is what you really want—the sun’s corona is, after all, the most beautiful thing you could ever hope to see. However, to experience a total solar eclipse in an environment is to experience radical and strange changes in light.
Whatever the weather on eclipse day, it will still get dark. In fact, since the moon’s shadow will be considerably larger for this eclipse compared to the last total solar eclipse in the U.S. in 2017, it should get even darker.
That presents an opportunity to see and capture the moon’s shadow moving across the landscape.
Seeing The Moon’s Shadow: Private Jets, Balloons And Satellites
The easiest way is to see the eclipse from a plane, as shown in the video above. Weather balloons also get a cool view, as do satellites. Not only does the height give a big impression of the moon’s shadow moving across the planet, but the very fact that it’s cloudy below makes it more pronounced. The time-lapse helps, too. If you have the resources, then not only is flying into the moon’s shadow the best way to see both it and the totally eclipsed sun, but you could end up being one of only very few people who see the corona on April 8.
Seeing The Moon’s Shadow: Mountains
With the sun eclipsed by 99%, the small slither of the sun will still provide enough light for twilight all around you. As the final drops of sunlight around the moon disappear, it will get dark very quickly—and that’s because the moon’s shadow is racing towards you at around 1,500 mph.
Seeing the moon’s shadow is possible, though you need to be looking. “It’s very dramatic,” said Pam Hine, author of Total Eclipse of the Sun: Mexico-USA-Canada: Monday, April 8, 2024, in an interview. “From a hill, you can see mountains in the distance disappear and then come back again.” With that view in mind, some set off early on eclipse day to get to the top of the mountain. That will be possible on April 8, though authorities have confirmed that there will be no access to Katahdin Mountain in Maine.
However, you do have to be careful since mountains tend to have their own weather systems—so in maximizing your chances of seeing the moon’s shadow, you may be ensuring that you don’t have a clear view of the totally eclipsed sun.
Seeing The Moon’s Shadow: Lakes And Coast
“Another good place would be on the coast looking in the direction of the approaching shadow because there’s nothing in the way,” said Hine. Options here are limited, with Mazatlan on Mexico’s Pacific Coast and the southwestern coast of Newfoundland the obvious choices. “Then there’s Lake Erie around Niagara and Lake Ontario and Kingston in Canada.” Lakes and reservoirs will offer opportunities to see the moon’s shadow approach—or leave.
“Lake Erie will be a beautiful location to watch the eclipse,” said Jay Ryan, at Eclipse Over Cleveland, who plans on being at Edgewater Park. “It’s an open body of water, as far as the eyes can see in all directions, and I’m hoping to see what the umbra looks like off over the lake.”
Potential shadow-spotting locations—for either the arriving (from the southwest) and departing (to the northeast) moon shadow—include:
- El Faro Lighthouse, Mazatlan, Mexico
- Anywhere on the east coast of Lake Erie (U.S./Canada)
- Sandusky, Port Clinton, Ohio, U.S.
- Middle and South Bass Islands and Kelley Island, Ohio, U.S.
- Avon, Cleveland, U.S.
- Rocky River Park, Lakewood Park, Edgewater Park and Cleveland Lakefront Nature Preserve, Ohio, U.S.
- Pelee Island, Lake Erie, Canada
- Point Pelee National Park, Lake Erie, Canada
- Long Point National Wildlife Area, Lake Erie, Canada
- Point Abino Lighthouse, Lake Erie, Canada
- Greenway Nature Trail, Buffalo, U.S.
- Anywhere on the north and east coast of Lake Ontario east of Cobourg, Canada
- Anywhere on the south coast of Lake Ontario (to see the shadow departing)
- Northwest coast of Prince Edward Island, Canada
- West coast of Cap-aux-Meules, Canada
- Southwest coast of Newfoundland between Stephenville and Cape Ray Lighthouse, Canada
Anywhere with an excellent southeast view will have a chance of seeing the moon’s shadow approaching—but the higher you are, the more pronounced the view will likely be.
For the latest on all aspects of April 8’s total solar eclipse in North America, check my main feed for new articles each day.
Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
