August 2017 Total Solar Eclipse Favors 12 States in the United States

Summary: The August 2017 total solar eclipse comprises a narrow path of totality that favors 12 states in the United States, from Oregon to South Carolina.

August 21, 2017 solar eclipse's path of totality: Fred Espenak/NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), CC BY 2.0, via NASA Eclipse Web Site

The August 2017 total solar eclipse features a narrow path of totality, with an approximate width of 73 miles (118 kilometers), that favors 12 states in the United States, from Oregon on the west coast eastward to South Carolina on the eastern seaboard.

After making landfall Monday, Aug. 21, in Oregon, the path of totality crosses over Idaho, Wyoming, southeastern Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, southern Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, southwestern North Carolina, northeastern Georgia and South Carolina.

The U.S. Naval Observatory’s Astronomical Applications Department lists 11 major U.S. cities as lying within the path of totality. From the Pacific Northwest eastward to the South Atlantic, the 11 favored cities comprise Salem, Oregon; Casper, Wyoming; Lincoln, Nebraska; Kansas City, Kansas; Kansas City, Missouri; Jefferson City, Missouri; St. Louis, Missouri; Nashville, Tennessee; Greenville, South Carolina; Columbia, South Carolina; Charleston, South Carolina.

The August 2017 total solar eclipse begins with a partial eclipse Aug. 21, at 15:46 Universal Time (8:46 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time). This instant is designated as P1, first contact with the moon’s penumbra, or light and outermost portion of the lunar shadow. First contact occurs over the North Pacific Ocean, at a poiont about 1,500 miles (2,400 kilometers) northwest of Hawaii.

The geographic area encompassed by the path of partiality greatly exceeds the narrow area that falls within the path of totality. Continentally, the path of partiality spans all of North America, northern South America, and portions of northwestern Africa, northeastern Asia and western Europe. Oceanically, the path of partiality takes in the North Atlantic Ocean, part of the South Atlantic Ocean, most of the northeastern Pacific Ocean and much of the Arctic Ocean.

The total portion of the eclipse begins at 16:48:36.1 UT (9:45 a.m. PDT), according to calculations on the NASA Eclipse Web Site. This instant is designated as U1, first contact with the moon’s umbra, or darkest and innermost portion of the lunar shadow.

Greatest duration takes place at 18:21:49.2 UT. Greatest duration (GD) refers to the instant of the total phase’s attainment of maximum length along the eclipse’s central path.

Greatest duration occurs in over Shawnee National Forest, southeast of the Jackson County village of Makanda, in southwestern Illinois at 37 degrees 35 minutes north latitude, 89 degrees 7 minutes west longitude. At this instant, the path of totality’s width is 114.5 kilometers (miles). Greatest duration lasts 2 minutes 40.2 seconds.

Greatest, or maximum, eclipse takes place at 18:25:31.8 UTC (1:25:31.8 p.m. Central Daylight Time). Greatest eclipse (GE) refers to the instant of closest passage of the lunar shadow cone’s axis to Earth’s center.

Greatest eclipse occurs over the outskirts of Cerulean, an unincorporated community in Trigg County, southwestern Kentucky at 36 degrees 58 minutes north latitude, 87 degrees 40.3 minutes west longitude. At this instant, the path of totality’s width is 114.7 kilometers (miles). Greatest eclipse lasts for 2 minutes 40.1 seconds.

The total portion of the August 2017 solar eclipse ends at 20:02:34.4 UT. This instant is designated as U4, last contact with the moon’s umbra.

The partial portion of the August 2017 solar eclipse ends at 21:04:23.5 UT over the North Atlantic Ocean, about 390 miles (628 kilometers), southwest of the Cape Verde archipelago. This instant is designated as P4, last contact with the moon’s penumbra.

The last total eclipse with total or partial visibility over the United States’ Lower 48 contiguous states took place Monday, Feb. 26, 1979. The 1979 path of totality entered the United States at Washington and Oregon in the Pacific Northwest and arched northeastward toward its exit from the United States over northwestern North Dakota.

The last total eclipse with west to east coast visibility across the United States occurred Saturday, June 8, 1918. The 1918 path of totality entered the United States at Washington in the Pacific Northwest and sloped southeastward toward its exit at Florida on the South Atlantic coast.

The 21st century’s next total solar eclipse takes place Tuesday, July 2, 2019. The 2019 path of totality favors the South Pacific Ocean and continental South America’s two southernmost countries of Chile and Argentina.

The takeaway for the August 2017 total solar eclipse is that the narrow path of totality favors 12 states in the United States and treks southeastward from its entry over the Pacific Northwest coast to its exit over the South Atlantic coast.

graphics of Aug. 2017, total solar eclipse: Fred Espenak/NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), CC BY 2.0, via NASA Eclipse Web Site

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

August 21, 2017 solar eclipse's path of totality: Fred Espenak/NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), CC BY 2.0, via NASA Eclipse Web Site @ https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEgoogle/SEgoogle2001/SE2017Aug21Tgoogle.html

graphics of Aug. 2017, total solar eclipse: Fred Espenak/NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), CC BY 2.0, via NASA Eclipse Web Site @ https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEplot/SEplot2001/SE2017Aug21T.GIF

For further information:

“2017 August 21 Total Solar Eclipse.” U.S. Naval Observatory Astronomical Applications Department > Data Services > Eclipses and Transits.
Available @ http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/Eclipse2017.php

“August 21, 2017 - Great American Eclipse (Total Solar Eclipse).” Time And Date > Sun & Moon > Eclipses.
Available @ https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/solar/2017-august-21

“August 21, 2017 Solar Eclipse.” National Park Service > John Day Fossil Beds > Plan Your Visit.
Available @ https://www.nps.gov/joda/planyourvisit/eclipse.htm

Espenak, Fred. “Glossary of Solar Eclipse Terms.” NASA Eclipse Web Site > Solar Eclipses.
Available @ https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/help/SEglossary.html#greatest

Espenak, Fred. “Path of the Total Solar Eclipse of 2017 Aug 21.” NASA Eclipse Web Site.
Available @ https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEpath/SEpath2001/SE2017Aug21Tpath.html

Espenak, Fred. “Total Solar Eclipse of 2017 Aug 21.” NASA Eclipse Web Site > Solar Eclipses.
Available @ https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEgoogle/SEgoogle2001/SE2017Aug21Tgoogle.html

“February 26, 1979 - Total Solar Eclipse.” Time And Date > Sun & Moon > Eclipses.
Available @ https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/solar/1979-february-26

“June 8, 1918 - June 9, 1918 - Total Solar Eclipse.” Time And Date > Sun & Moon > Eclipses.
Available @ https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/solar/1918-june-8

Littmann, Mark, and Fred Espenak. Totality: The Great American Eclipses of 2017 and 2024. First edition. New York NY; Oxford UK: Oxford University Press, May 2017.

Marriner, Derdriu. "February 2017 Annular Solar Eclipse Favors South Atlantic Ocean." Earth and Space News. Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2017/02/february-2017-annular-solar-eclipse.html

NASA Goddard. “Tracing the 2017 Solar Eclipse.” YouTube. Dec. 14, 2016.
Available @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJgXaqW3md8

Rao, Joe. “’Great American Total Solar Eclipse’ Just 1 Year Away.” Space.com > Skywatching. Aug. 19, 2016.
Available @ http://www.space.com/33798-great-american-solar-eclipse-one-year-away.html

Wall, Mike. “Total Solar Eclipse 2017: When, Where and How to See It (Safely).” Space.com > Skywatching. Jan. 6, 2017.
Available @ http://www.space.com/33797-total-solar-eclipse-2017-guide.html