Arkansas SkyDome Planetarium
Your Guide to Exploring the Night Sky!
This article lists the upcoming solar eclipses that will be visible across the United States, with a special emphasis on Arkansas.
June 21, 2021 - Near Miss
This eclipse is a near miss, however if you are in the NE United States on this morning you have a chance to catch an eclipsed sun at sunrise. The three stripped lines crossing Hudson Bay in Canada is the path of totality for the eclipse. Those who are north of the large oval that extends from the Atlantic Ocean, across the mid-west and up into Alaska will see a partially eclipsed sun at sunrise.
October 14, 2023 - Partial Eclipse
This annual eclipse will have a centerline that passes across Texas up through Oregon. For us here in Arkansas we’ll see about a 70% eclipse which will occur from roughly 10:30am – 1:30pm.
April 8, 2024 - Total Solar Eclipse
This is the best eclipse in the near future for Arkansas. The eclipse starts in Maine, cuts across Arkansas and down into Texas. The centerline runs from NE Arkansas, through Russellville and exits the state around De Queen. The area of totality will extend from Ft. Smith over to the Little Rock area. Those on the centerline will experience more than 4 minutes of totality! The eclispe will begin around 12:30pm. Totality will last from 1:51-1:55pm. It will end at around 3:10pm
We’ll have more details on this eclipse as the date draws near.
August 12, 2045 - Total Solar Eclipse
After the April 2024 eclipse we’ll have to wait 21 years before we get another good one! There will be a few shallow partial eclipses during that time, but nothing major.
Three Lines – In each of the images there is a set of three lines showing the path of totality. Those within the outer two lines will see totality. However, those near the outer lines will only see totality for a brief moment. The line down the center is the centerline path, where totality will last the longest. Thus, if you’re within the three lines you’ll see totality, but to experience it with the longest duration, you’ll want to be on the center line.