Annular Solar Eclipse over the United States on October 14, 2023

Wikimedia commons, 2012 annular solar eclipse courtesy of carl drinkwater

An annular solar eclipse will visit the United States for the first time since May 20, 2012. If you are inside the path of annular solar eclipse, you will witness the other-worldly sight of the Sun as a thin ring occulted by the Moon. At all times during an annular eclipse, you must use safe eclipse glasses to view this dramatic sight.

The five maps below feature the annular solar eclipse over the United States and answer your basic questions.

  1. How long will the annular solar eclipse be? If I am outside the path of annularity, what is the maximum partial solar eclipse I can expect to see?

  2. How long is annularity in my area and how does it vary across the path? The longest duration of annularity will be in the center of the path.

  3. What time is maximum solar eclipse, both inside and outside of the path? Inside the path of annularity, what time is the mid-point of the eclipse?

  4. What time is the beginning of the partial phase of solar eclipse? The eclipse will last between two and three hours and shows when you can see the first nibble of the Moon on the Sun’s disk.

  5. What time is the end of the partial phase of solar eclipse? Learn when the Moon at last departs Sun’s disk.

This annular solar eclipse is a terrific warm-up to the main event, the total solar eclipse of April 8, 2024 across Mexico, the United States, and Canada.

Our advice is to get your eclipse viewers sooner rather than later because they will sell out before eclipse day. We offer several safe and ISO-approved options for eclipse glasses here. Learn how to safely view solar eclipses at eclipse.aas.org/eye-safety/.

Animation of the Moon’s shadow over the United States

This animation shows the passage of the Moon's shadow over the United States on October 14, 2023. During an annular solar eclipse, the Moon's apparent disk is slightly smaller than the Sun and inside the path of annular solar eclipse, you will see the dramatic sight of the Sun as a thin ring. Be sure to use solar eclipse glasses or other safe viewing method at all times during this eclipse.

Eclipse times and durations inside the path of annular solar eclipse

The states that are touched by the path of Annular Solar Eclipse

The 9 states that will be visited by the Moon’s shadow during the annular solar eclipse are Oregon, California, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. We’ve created the maps below for each of these states. Idaho is omitted because the Moon’s shadow only touches a small corner of this state.

The Impact of the Eclipse

How big will the impact of the eclipse visitation be to the communities in the path of annularity? 6 million people in the United States already live inside the path. These maps summarize the potential visitation from neighboring states, showing travel distance throughout the nation.

Poster Maps of the Annular Solar Eclipse over the United States

We offer these maps with greater detail on our online store. They are designed to help you find your optimal site for eclipse day. Our map are acclaimed for their artistry, accuracy, and utility. Click on each map for the store entry.

These online maps, and all the maps on this website, can be freely used for outreach, social media, websites, print and broadcast media. Please provide credit and link to our website. Please contact us for commercial uses, our guidelines for use are here.