ARKANSAS, USA — In one year, a total solar eclipse will come to Arkansas on April 8, 2024.
You will want to be in the southwest, central, or northeastern regions of Arkansas to be in the path of totality.
The eclipse will sweep across Mexico, the U.S. and Canada. According to NASA, the contiguous U.S. won't see another total solar eclipse until August 2044.
Total solar eclipses happen when the moon completely blocks the face of the sun, darkening the sky. While solar eclipses themselves aren't uncommon, they're only visible from a portion of the Earth each time — making total eclipses that are visible from near home rare.
Date of solar eclipse: April 8, 2024
In April of 2024, the moon will pass in front of the sun, completely blocking it so that the skies turn dark in the path of totality.
To learn more about the eclipse from NASA, tap HERE.
It will appear as late dusk or early dawn. The moon will cast a shadow roughly 80 miles wide (in diameter), traveling at 1,763 MPH.
PATH OF TOTALITY
Inside the path of totality, the sky will turn the darkest. This is the area where you can take off the special viewing glasses for a few moments (depending on how long your totality lasts). The black line on the map below shows you where the path of totality will be.
The eclipse will start over the Pacific Ocean and quickly travel across to the northeast from Earth's perspective. It will begin over Mexico, move into the southern U.S., exit in the Great Lakes, and end over Canada before reaching the Atlantic Ocean.
The path of totality will range from a few seconds of darkness to over four minutes of darkness. To get the full effect, you will want to look up in the center of the path. Scroll down to see which cities are in the center of the path for Arkansas.
WHERE TO SEE IT IN ARKANSAS
Parts of southwestern Arkansas, the River Valley, central Arkansas, and northeast Arkansas will get the eclipse. The black swath shows the path of totality.
Best cities from SW to NE to see the solar eclipse in Arkansas:
- De Queen
- Mount Ida
- Hot Springs
- Plainview
- Dardanelle
- Conway
- Heber Springs
- Batesville
- Mountain View
- Pocahontas
Let's take a closer look... You can see all county names, as well as some towns.
Southwest Arkansas:
Central Arkansas:
Northeast Arkansas:
-5NEWS Weather Team
For more information on NASA viewing sites across the nation, tap HERE.