Skygazers, the Great American Eclipse is on its way. On April 8, there’ll be a total eclipse over North America, the last until 2044. If you want a good look at it, but don’t live in the path of totality, you shouldn’t wait much longer to book accommodations and travel to a spot on the path. 

A total solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, blocking the sun and turning an otherwise sunny day to darkness for a short period of time. Depending on the angle at which you’re viewing the eclipse, you may see the sun completely shrouded by the moon (called totality) or some variation of it. The more off-angle you are and the further you are from the path of the eclipse, the less likely you’ll be to see the totality. 

The 2024 total solar eclipse will happen on Monday, April 8. The Great American Eclipse will reach the Mexican Pacific coast at 11:07 a.m. PT/2:07 p.m. ET, and traverse through the US and Canada over time.

How about booking a seat in the sky? Delta Airlines made headlines for offering a flight that allows you to see the entire path of totality. Its first eclipse flight, from Austin, Texas, to Detroit sold out quickly. But as of Monday, Delta has added a second flight from Dallas to Detroit, which also covers the path of totality. The airline also has five flights that will offer prime eclipse viewing.

Of course, not everyone can get on one of those elusive eclipse-viewing flights. Here’s a look at other options to nab a chance to see this rare sight and what to know about it.

Total solar eclipse path

The eclipse will cross over the Pacific coast of Mexico and traverse the northeast over mainland Mexico. The eclipse will then make its way over San Antonio at approximately 2:30 p.m. ET on April 8 and move through Texas, over the southeastern part of Oklahoma and northern Arkansas by 2:50 p.m. ET.

By 3 p.m. ET, the eclipse will be over southern Illinois, and just 5 minutes later, will be traveling over Indianapolis. Folks in northwestern Ohio will be treated to the eclipse by 3:15 p.m. ET, and it will then travel over Lake Erie and Buffalo, New York, by 3:20 p.m. ET. Over the next 10 minutes, the eclipse will be seen over northern New York state, then over Vermont. By 3:35 p.m. ET, the eclipse will work its way into Canada and off the Eastern coast of North America.

Best places to watch the Great American Eclipse

When evaluating the best places to watch this year’s total eclipse, you’ll first want to determine where you’ll have the best angle to see the totality. The farther off-angle you are — in other words, the farther north or south of the eclipse’s path — the less of an impact you can expect.

Therefore, if you want to have the best chance of experiencing the eclipse, you’ll want to be in its path. As of this writing, most of the cities in the eclipse’s path have some hotel availability, but recent reports have suggested that rooms are booking up. And as more rooms are booked, prices are going up. In Rochester, New York, for instance, hotel rates are hitting $1,000 or more per night on April 8 as demand for that date continues to rise. Some hotels in Rochester are completely booked.

So if you want to be in the eclipse’s path, and need a hotel to do it, move fast.

By comparison, Delta’s eclipse-viewing flight from Dallas to Detroit is priced between $739 and $1,150 at the time of publication.

Eclipse eye safety and photography

 
As with any solar eclipse, it’s critical you keep eye safety in mind.

During the eclipse, and especially during the periods before and after totality, don’t look directly at the sun without special eye protection. Also, be sure not to look at the sun through a camera (including the camera on your phone), binoculars, a telescope or any other viewing device. This could cause serious eye injury. Sunglasses aren’t enough to protect your eyes from damage.

If you want to view the eclipse, you’ll instead need solar viewing glasses that comply with the ISO 12312-2 safety standard. Anything that doesn’t meet that standard or greater won’t be dark enough to protect your eyes. Want to get them for free? If you’ve got a Warby Parker eyeglasses store nearby, the company is giving away free, ISO-certified solar eclipse glasses at all of its stores from April 1 until the eclipse, while supplies last.

If you don’t have eclipse viewing glasses handy, you can instead use indirect methods for viewing the eclipse, like a pinhole projector.

See also: A Photographer’s Adventure With the Eclipse

In the event you want to take pictures of the eclipse, attach a certified solar filter to your camera. Doing so will protect your eyes and allow you to take photos while you view the eclipse through your lens.

2024 eclipse compared to 2017

The last total solar eclipse occurred in 2017, and many Americans had a great view. Although there are plenty of similarities between the 2017 total solar eclipse and the one coming April 8, there are a handful of differences. Mainly, the 2024 eclipse is going to cover more land and last longer.

The 2017 eclipse started over the northwest US and moved southeast. Additionally, that eclipse’s path was up to 71 miles wide, compared with a maximum width of 122 miles for this year’s eclipse. Perhaps most importantly, the moon completely covered the sun for just two minutes and 40 seconds in 2017. This year, maximum totality will last for nearly four-and-a-half minutes.

A polar bear’s plight in an award-winning photo is a blunt reminder that emissions from burning fossil fuels are warming up the planet and leading to more extreme weather. Nima Sarikhani’s image of a polar bear snatching a nap on a small iceberg won top honors in the People’s Choice category of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, developed and produced annually by the Natural History Museum, London.

«I am so honored to have won this year’s People’s Choice award for WPY, the most prestigious wildlife photography competition,» Sarikhani said in a statement. «This photograph has stirred strong emotions in many of those who have seen it. Whilst climate change is the biggest challenge we face, I hope that this photograph also inspires hope. There is still time to fix the mess we have caused.»

Climate change is upsetting natural processes in numerous ways, including the melting of Arctic sea ice, which contributes to rising global sea levels and coastal flooding. As governments, businesses, communities and individuals reckon with the potentially dire environmental, humanitarian and economic consequences, they’re also looking for ways to minimize the impact and find a better way forward. (For more on that, see our CNET Zero climate coverage.)

Polar Bear Cuddles Up to Shrinking Iceberg in Winning Wildlife Photograph

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«Nima’s breathtaking and poignant image allows us to see the beauty and fragility of our planet,» museum director Douglas Gurr said in a statement. «His thought-provoking image is a stark reminder of the integral bond between an animal and its habitat and serves as a visual representation of the detrimental impacts of climate warming and habitat loss.»

More than 50,000 images competed in the competition, with only 100 receiving finalist honors. Other images include an orphaned chimpanzee at a rehabilitation center, an inquisitive lion cub strolling toward the photographer and a swirling flock of starlings taking the form of one giant bird over Rome. 

Several honored photos, including a fox digging through trash in a London rubbish bin, a Celebes crested macaque trying to drink from a discarded drink bottle and a bull elephant scavenging in a garbage dump, show how the wild world of these animals has been forced into conflict with the trash humans unthinkingly leave behind.

All of the shortlisted images are on display in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at the Natural History Museum in London until June 30.

For CNET’s insights and advice on photography, see how AI factors into what’s true in photos, how HDR technology brings striking realism, depth and detail and how an old phone can still take awesome photos.