New Interactive Map Will Help You Plan the Perfect Solar Eclipse Trip
The Planetary Society and the Eclipse Company just unveiled an epic eclipse travel planning tool.
You can close all the 500 open tabs on your laptop now, trust us. You can finally stop stressing out about planning your perfect eclipse viewing experience(s), because The Planetary Society and The Eclipse Company are coming to your rescue.
In an effort to help all stargazers witness both upcoming eclipses (October 14, 2023 for an annular "ring of fire" eclipse and April 8, 2024 for a total solar eclipse) in the best way possible, the two organizations have teamed up to create an innovative, gorgeous, and user-friendly immersive eclipse map that can give you all the info you need in one place.
Of course, the map will provide you with all the best viewing spots along the path of totality, but it doesn't stop there. On top of guiding you to the best locations, it will also give you all the details about cloud cover, light pollution, eclipse duration, and even all the other eclipse phenomena (remember what the Baily's beads are?). And that's not the end of the list, either. The map also features educational information from The Planetary Society, viewing locations from local parks, eclipse-centric local events (which, if you are organizing one, you can submit it right here to be added to the map), and even lodging options. It's basically an interactive eclipse planner!
The map is a project aimed at helping people enjoy the eclipse and all its parallel phenomena, including viewing the sun's corona, seeing Baily's beads, and more, which will all be visible on the map.
"After seeing the 2017 eclipse, I was shocked to discover how many people lived near the path of totality but didn't make the extra effort to experience it fully," Jesse Tomlinson, co-founder of The Eclipse Company, said in a statement. "We designed this tool specifically to inspire folks to get in the path—it is a transformative experience not to be missed."
You can start planning your trip and playing around with the map by visiting this website. Happy eclipse viewing!
Ready to go stargazing?
Here are all the best stargazing events that you can get out and see this month or you could stay in and stream the northern lights from home. If you're just getting started, check out our guide to astronomy for beginners or easy stargazing road trips from big US cities.