missouri illinois
Millions of people will have already witnessed the awe-inspiring spectacle
of the total solar eclipse by the time the Moon’s umbra sweeps into Missouri
at 1:04 p.m. CDT. This impressive viewership will quickly go up as the
shadow glides across the state for 18 minutes, cutting a large swath that
includes portions of two major
metropolises — Kansas City
and St. Louis. With its central
location and easy highway
access, Missouri is sure to be a
destination for eclipse chasers.
Greatamericaneclipse.com
estimates that between 323,000 and
1,291,000 people will travel to the
areas of totality. When choosing
where to view, it is important to
remember that Kansas City and St.
Louis each straddle the perimeter
of the path of totality. In Kansas
City, observers will have to be
on the northern edge of the city
to experience totality, while St.
Louis observers will have to be
on the southern edge of the city.
If you will be in one of those areas,
be sure to look closely at detailed
resources that define where the path
actually crosses through each of these
locales. St. Joseph, which is about
55 miles north of Kansas City, lies
on the centerline and will experience
2 minutes and 38 seconds of totality
beginning at 1:06 p.m. The city has
put up a comprehensive website with
information on viewing locales. Free
observing events will be held at the
Rosecrans Memorial Airport and
East Hills Mall. Almost all of the
Interstate 70 corridor, which bisects
the state, will experience totality.
The highway provides easy access to
Columbia, which is on the centerline
and the state’s capitol, Jefferson City.
Columbia’s 2 minutes and 37 seconds
of totality will begin at 1:12 p.m. Large
viewing events will be held at Cosmo
Park and Gans Creek Recreation Area.
COURTESY OF Michael Zeiler, www.GreatAmericanEclipse.com
Jefferson City observers will be treated
to 2 minutes and 29 seconds under the
Missouri cities on the centerline of the path of totality:
shadow beginning at 1:13 p.m. NASA
• Boonville • Carrollton • Chamois • Columbia • De Soto • Franklin • Gerald • Gower
will be broadcasting live from the steps
• Hillsboro • Lathrop • Marshall • McBaine • Mokane • New Franklin • Norborne •
Parkway • Pevely • Plattsburg • Rocheport • St. Clair • St. Joseph
of Missouri’s Supreme Court building. It won’t take the Moon’s umbra long to
traverse the path of totality that blankets
the southernmost part of Illinois, but it
will put on a big show during its quick
visit, which begins around 1:17 p.m.
CDT. The state has the honor of hosting
the point of greatest duration. Weather
permitting, this lucky locale in Makanda
will bask in the full glory of the eclipsed
Sun for 2 minutes and 40.2 seconds.
Blue Sky Vineyard, which lies at this
sweet spot, has four days of festivities
planned to commemorate the occasion.
Although being at the point of greatest
duration buys you a few more seconds
of totality, the biggest crowds will
probably be drawn to Carbondale,
which will offer 2 minutes and 37
seconds of totality beginning at 1:20
p.m. CDT. In addition to being a
big player in this year’s eclipse,
Carbondale will be a beacon for
eclipse chasers again on April 8,
2024 - the date of the next total solar
eclipse to pass over the contiguous
U.S. This Illinois city of less than
27,000 people is being called
“Eclipse City” because it lies at the
point where the centerlines for both
the 2017 and 2024 eclipse tracks
cross. This year, a wealth of events
will be happening at Southern
Illinois University Carbondale (see
details in inset box), but there are
other viewing venues. The City
of Carbondale and Carbondale
Main Street are teaming up to
host Shadowfest, a free, multi-day
eclipse celebration on Washington
Street that will feature lots of live
music. For more information on
scheduled events, click here. In the
centerline city of Goreville, which
will see 2 minutes and 40 seconds
of totality, astronomers from the
University of Illinois will be hosting
a public viewing event at Goreville
City Park. Greatamericaneclipse.
com estimates that between 93,000
and 372,000 will travel to Illinois to
witness the eclipse.
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Sky ’ s
Up
Sky ’ s
Up
COURTESY OF Michael Zeiler, www.GreatAmericanEclipse.com
event spotlight
SIU Carbondale
Eclipse Crossroads
of America
Southern Illinois University
Carbondale will celebrate the
2017 eclipse beginning Aug.
19 and culminating on Aug.
21 with a large watch party
at Saluki Stadium. Tickets are
on sale now for the observing
event, which will be hosted
by Matt Kaplan of Planetary
Radio. Attendees will be
provided with safe solar
viewing glasses. There will
also be on-field programming
developed in conjunction
with the Adler Planetarium
of Chicago. Visitors also will
be able to see live coverage
of the eclipse across America
through the eyes of NASA,
anchored by NASA Edge
from the campus of SIU
Carbondale. Other events
at SIU include Eclipse Comic
Con; an astronomy, science
and technology expo; an
arts and craft fair; and a
festival/carnival with food
and entertainment. For more
information, click here.
Illinois cities on the centerline of the path of totality:
Carbondale • Cedar lake • Chester • Golconda
• Goreville • Murphysboro • Simpson
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