Solar eclipse in Oklahoma: What to know and where to see it
KOCO 5 Meteorologist Michael Armstrong breaks down what you need to know before the eclipse is visible in Oklahoma
KOCO 5 Meteorologist Michael Armstrong breaks down what you need to know before the eclipse is visible in Oklahoma
KOCO 5 Meteorologist Michael Armstrong breaks down what you need to know before the eclipse is visible in Oklahoma
Oklahoma and the rest of the country will see an incredible spectacle in the sky that you will not want to miss.
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A solar eclipse will move across the country in early April, and Oklahoma will be a prime location to watch it.
KOCO 5 Meteorologist Michael Armstrong breaks down what you need to know before the eclipse is visible in Oklahoma.
What is an eclipse?
When the moon is between the sun and the earth, it creates a very localized shadow that people will be able to see. Where that localized shadow takes place is called the path of totality.
That path of totality will move from Mexico to the northeastern parts of the country. Part of Oklahoma is in the path of the totality. If you're not in the path of totality, that's OK. You'll be able to see a partial eclipse.
What day is the eclipse?
The eclipse will move across the country on Monday, April 8.
Path of totality
The path of totality enters southwestern Texas at 1:30 p.m. and moves to southeastern Oklahoma between 1:45 p.m. and 1:50 p.m. Michael says the path of totality moves fast, so it'll only be visible for a few minutes in Oklahoma.
The eclipse ends in the northeastern part of the U.S. by 3:30 p.m. local time.
Best place to see in Oklahoma
If you want to see the path of totality in Oklahoma, you'll want to go to Broken Bow.
The partial eclipse begins at 12:28 p.m., with the total eclipse running from 1:45 p.m. to 1:50 p.m. The total duration of totality is about 4 minutes and 15 seconds. The partial eclipse will end at 3:07 p.m.
What if you're not in the Path of Totality?
Again, you'll still be able to see the eclipse even if you're not in the path of totality.
The OKC metro and most of Oklahoma will have 90% coverage. Northwestern Oklahoma and the Panhandle will have 70%-90% partial coverage.
The further away you are from the path of totality, the less coverage you'll see – but the range covers much of the country. Northwestern states could see 30%-40%.
How rare is a total solar eclipse?
The last time a total solar eclipse was visible in the U.S. was on Aug. 21, 2017, but this eclipse is a once-in-a-generation event. If you miss this one, NASA says the next total solar eclipse that will be visible from the contiguous U.S. will be on Aug. 23, 2044.