Solar eclipse map: See how close Memphis is to path of totality

The 2024 solar eclipse is coming next month which means it's time to start planning where you want to be to watch the spectacle.

The Great American Solar Eclipse is making a pass through nearby Arkansas next month, and Memphis is close enough that we will get an near-total solar eclipse. As the Bluff City is right next to the path of totality, we are expected to see about 95% coverage of the sun − the most of any major Tennessee city.

The eclipse will start at about 12:38 p.m. on Monday, April 8. It will continue through until about 3:15 p.m. Totality is expected to begin around 12:50 p.m. and last for three to four minutes depending on your location. The map below shows the exact times for locations across the country.

Path of totality map: How close is Memphis to total eclipse?

The path of the solar eclipse this year goes south to north. In the U.S., the first major city the eclipse hits is Dallas, Texas. From there it continues through the bottom corner of Oklahoma, through central Arkansas, southern Missouri, western Kentucky, southern Illinois, central Indiana, northern Ohio, northwest Pennsylvania, northern New York, northern Vermont, northern New Hampshire and central Maine.

Both Jonesboro and Little Rock, Arkansas will be in the path of totality during the eclipse. These are the two locations closest to Memphis.

What happens during a solar eclipse?

A solar eclipse is when the moon is between the Earth and the sun and interrupts the sun's light. This is what creates the darkness that we see when a solar eclipse happens. People who are in the path of the sun's blockage will see the total solar eclipse while people off the path will experience a partial one.

Here in Memphis, we will experience a partial solar eclipse where the moon only covers part of the sun.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Solar eclipse 2024 map: What Memphis will see and for how long