an hour or so before the Sun disappears, the
quality of the light changes, shadows get
sharper and the temperature drops. Dogs bark
and roosters crow in confusion. This is the
moment to make sure the batteries in your
cameras are fully charged.
Because the eclipse path cut right through the
US, a record number of people were expected to
witness the spectacle. More than 10 million
Americans live within the path of totality; nearly 30
million live within 100km (62 miles) of the path.LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
With the eclipse’s path running some 4,500km
(2,796 miles) across America, how did people
decide where to go to watch it? The weather, of
course, was a big issue. Roughly speaking, the
weather prospects improve from east to west;
West of the Mississippi, there was a better than
50/50 chance of having a clear sky on 21
August, based on many years of climate data. Of
course, what the local forecast says the day
before the eclipse is more important than
historical weather data! Some of the driest
spots, with the highest chances of clear skies,
included the valleys of central Oregon and
central Idaho; some locations had a roughly
three-in-four chance of cloudless weather. And
of course, there’s the scenery. No doubt, many
visitors will be drawn to places like Grand Teton
National Park, in northwest Wyoming, right
inside the path of totality. Nearby Yellowstone is“Dogs bark and
roosters crow in
confusion. This is the
moment to make sure
the batteries in your
cameras are charged”
PHOTOS: GETTY X5, ALAMYFive of the best locations that saw totality
TOP PLACES TO
VIEW THE ECLIPSE
GRAND TETON NATIONAL
PARK, W YOMING
The park features some of the most spectacular
mountain scenery in the US, and equally
majestic Yellowstone, known for its wildlife as
well as the Old Faithful geyser, is right next door.CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA
Tourists and history buffs flock to this
picturesque city on the Atlantic coast, even
when there’s no eclipse. The first shots of the
American Civil War rang out over Charleston’s
harbour on 12 April 1861.CENTRAL NEBRASKA
What’s in central Nebraska? A useful 400km
(250-mile) stretch of Interstate 80, which
runs along the path of totality.CARBONDALE, ILLINOIS
A spot just south of this small university city
boasted the maximum duration of totality.
Totality is expected to be just over two
minutes and 40 seconds here.MADRAS, OREGON
This part of Oregon boasts some of the
driest conditions anywhere along the path
of totality.SCIENCE