2024 total solar eclipse will offer incredible opportunity for more than 30 million Americans

It’s never too early to start planning for a solar eclipse, especially if it’ll be the last total solar eclipse in the US until 2044. On April 8, 2024, you’ll be able to see a total solar eclipse in the contiguous US.

The path of totality, where you can see a total solar eclipse during the event, will cut a path from Maine to Texas. There are nearly 32 million Americans living along that path. In 2017, the last total solar eclipse in the US had a path of totality from Oregon to South Carolina, offering just over 12 million people a view of the eclipse by simply walking outside, assuming the weather permitted.

Beyond the 2024 solar eclipse being accessible to more people, it will also be a longer event. Totality will last over four minutes for part of the path, nearly double the duration of totality in 2017. The eclipse will end in Littleton, Maine, at 3:35 p.m. ET, and the totality at that location will be 3 minutes 22 seconds.

April is a generally cloudy month for much of the country, so careful planning will be required in the days leading up to the 2024 total eclipse. However, if conditions cooperate, we can expect some fantastic photography. Back in 2017, we featured some incredible imagery, including an amazing real-time 4K close-up of the sun.

It’s never too early to start thinking ahead to 2024, as viewers in the US will need to wait until 2044 for the next total solar eclipse, which will only be viewable in a small area of Montana and the Dakotas.

For more information on the 2024 total solar eclipse in the US, check out these ‘25 things you should know about the 2024 total solar eclipse.’ Don’t forget to set a calendar alert closer to the big event so you can start planning for an amazing photo. If you need some photo tips, check out the video below from Popular Mechanics.