Come fly with the Moon’s shadow! Everyone inside the shadow will experience the breathtaking sight of the Sun’s corona during the total solar eclipse of April 8, 2024.

This animation simulates a view of the total eclipse from a spacecraft 100 miles high, chasing the shadow along its arc.

 Total Solar Eclipse over Pennsylvania on April 8, 2024

Totality comes to northwest Pennsylvania! Be prepared to see the greatest sight nature offers, a total eclipse of the Sun. Be sure to get inside the path of totality for the full experience.

Simply put, a total eclipse of the Sun is the most beautiful sight you will ever see in the sky. Nothing can prepare you for the amazing sight when the sky suddenly darkens and the Sun’s corona shines in the sky. No photograph can capture the stunning beauty of a total solar eclipse, you must see it for yourself. Learn about the basics of the solar eclipse at greatamericaneclipse.com/basics and find out more about the wonder of eclipses at greatamericaneclipse.com/splendor. Find your copy of this map here.

A good base in this area is the city of Erie, near the natural beauty of Presque Isle State Park. This park has a sandy peninsula ideal for maximizing your duration of totality, up to a generous 3 minutes and 45 seconds. Another location is Erie Bluffs State Park with viewpoints 90 feet about Lake Erie. From this vantage, you can enjoy a panoramic view of the Moon’s shadow crossing the lake.

For eclipse viewing, mobility is essential especially in case of inclement weather. Within northwest Pennsylvania, Interstate 90 parallels the Lake Erie coastline providing options for relocation. Interstate 79 south of Erie provides another route for mobility and accessing this region.

The total solar eclipse begins at the Ohio border at 3:15 pm EDT and leaves the state at the New York border at 3:20 pm EDT. Through Pennsylvania, the speed of the Moon’s shadow will accelerate from about 2175 miles per hour to about 2340 miles per hour.

Tips for viewing the eclipse

• Get your eclipse glasses early! They will sell out in the weeks before eclipse day. We offer eclipse glasses which are ISO 12312-2 certified and made in the USA at www.greatamericaneclipse.com/eclipse-viewing/eclipse-viewing-glasses

• Learn the simple methods to safely view a solar eclipse. Visit eclipse.aas.org/eye-safety for detailed instructions.

• Plan ahead. If you choose to stay in a hotel, be aware that most will sell out. A perfect guide to planning your eclipse is our field guide, greatamericaneclipse.com/books/field-guide-to-the-2023-and-2024-solar-eclipses.

• Get to your destination early and try to spend eclipse night at or near your viewing location. Expect the highways and freeways to be extra busy in the aftermath of totality.

• Be self-sufficient. Fill up your gas tank and bring food and water.

• Check the local TV weather reports as eclipse day approaches. The meteorologists will give you great advice on viewing the eclipse and whether you may need to relocate. We recommend eclipsophile.com as the essential site for eclipse meteorology.

• Unless you are an experienced photographer, we recommend that you not attempt photography during the eclipse. You will be so stunned that it will be difficult to operate a camera. If you choose to do photography, visit Fred Espenak’s MrEclipse.com for advice.

Animation of the Moon’s shadow

Our animation shows you exactly where the eclipse will be total, moment-by-moment. The maximum duration shown is for locations along the very center of the eclipse path. This animation is built using data from retired NASA astrophysicist Fred Espenak (eclipsewise.com) and eclipse expert Xavier Jubier (xjubier.free.fr). You may freely share our maps and animations on social media and web sites, we just ask for a live link to our website.

Eclipse weather in Pennsylvania

The weather website eclipsophile.com predicts average cloudiness along Lake Erie as about 60% and describes a strategy to improve your odds based on weather patterns: “When we examine the satellite images individually to see how the weather systems behave, we find that clearing behind a weather system proceeds fairly regularly from west to east (no surprises there), but, as we’ve noted earlier, clearing along the lakefront proceeds more rapidly than elsewhere inland. This suggests a strategy for eclipse day if circumstances permit: move westward along the south shores of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie until skies clear if the day’s weather is affected by a passing low and cold front.”

Our advice is to stack your odds by paying attention to short-term weather forecasts and if poor weather is forecast, jump in your car very early on eclipse day (or the evening before) and drive either to the southwest or northeast to chase after clear skies. You will never regret the effort to seek out a clear view of a total eclipse of the Sun, it will register in your memory all your life.

How many people will come to Pennsylvania to see the eclipse?

As the total solar eclipse in 2017 proved, the total solar eclipse will be a magnet for millions of people across the nation. We’ve analyzed population distributions and the national road network and present our rough estimate of how many people will come to Pennsylvania for the eclipse. Learn more about our methodology at greatamericaneclipse.com/statistics.