Featured Map for 6 April 2024:
Total Solar Eclipse of 2024

Monday's highlight for many will be be the total solar eclipse. Much of totality occurs over oceans, starting over the Pacific and ending over the Atlantic, darkening many North America cities along the way. Initiali landfall of the umbral shadow will be very close to Mazatlán. About 11 minutes later, Greatest Eclipse (GE) will occur about 187 miles (300 km) to the northeast, over México's Durango state. A short time later, the greatest duration of the eclipse (4:28.19) will occur.

The path of totality will cross into the United States southeast of Del Rio, Texas before passing near three of the largest cities in Texas (missing Houston) before continuing across or near a heavily populated swath of the United States and Canada, finally crossing over the Atlanic Ocean near Gander, and ending north of the Azores.

Delta Air Lines is offering two flights specifically intended for eclipse viewers. DL 1218 from Austin to Detroit will be operated with an Airbus A220-300, which has more than 40% of its seats as window seats. When that flight quickly sold out, Delta added another, DL 1010 from Dallas/Ft. Worth to Detroit, which will be operated with an Airbus A321neo.

Although no other airlines appear to have scheduled flights aimed at viewing of the eclipse, several have noted flights that are likely to offer good views of the eclipse. (See the References for details.)

Today's Featured Map shows the land portion of the path of the moon's umbral shadow during the eclipse (a subset of the full eclipse path), with the blue lines marking the northern and southern limits of totality. The location of Greatest Eclipse is marked with a large black disc surrounded by a white corona.

Eclipse predictions are by Fred Espenak (EclipseWise.com.)

References and additional information:

• EclipseWise
  • Total Solar Eclipse of 2024 Apr 08
  • Path of the Total Solar Eclipse of 2024 Apr 08
  • Explanation of Greatest Eclipse and Greatest Duration
• 2024 Total Solar Eclipse – NASA
• 2024 Total Solar Eclipse / United States / April 7-10, 2024 / Special Air Traffic Procedures – FAA
• Delta Air Lines
  • Eclipse viewing at 30,000 feet: Delta to offer path-of-totality flight (19 February 2024)
  • By popular demand: Delta adds second eclipse path-of-totality flight (26 February 2024)
• San Diego flights to offer stellar solar eclipse viewing experience from 30,000 feet – NBC San Diego (1 April 2024)
• Five US Airlines Overlapping April 8's Total Eclipse Path – Airways (3 April 2024)
  
  
• Featured Map: Total Solar Eclipse Over The U.S. (11 August 2017)
• Featured Map: NASA's Extended Observation of the Total Solar Eclipse (21 August 2017)
• Featured Map: Alaska Airlines 9671 Eclipse Flight (27 August 2017)