Name:

frequency of Eclipeee
The rarity of total eclipses is part of what makes the
2024 total solar eclipse so exciting. For any specific
location on Earth, a total solar eclipse appears
only once every 375 years on average. That
means that if you want to experience one in the
town you live in, without travelling to another
location, it is not likely to happen in your lifetime.
The 375 year number is an average though, so it is possible that
you could see one or even two total solar eclipses in your location
in a decade if you are in a lucky spot. New England for example
has been in the path of 5 total solar eclipses in the last 100 years.
Los Angeles on the other hand, has not seen a total solar eclipse
since 724 and will wait until the year 3290 for the next one. Parts
1

of Missouri, Illinois and Kentucky will experience totality for the

second time in 7 years as they had the 201 7 total solar eclipse and
will also be in the path of the 2024 eclipse.

occur somewhere on Earth much more often

Total Solar eclipses
than every 375 years, about every 18 months to be more precise.
But, many eclipses occU in locations where they are difficult to
observe.

The 2024 total solar eclipse will be the most observed eclipse in

history due to path through heavily populated areas. The path

its

of totality will run from the southwest part of the U.S. to the
northeast corner of the country and it will be about 120 miles wide.
So if you have the opportunity to see the 2024 total solar eclipse
from somewhere within the path of totality, you should take
advantage of it. Many people will never experience the wonder
of seeing a total solar eclipse in their lifetime.
O Tanya Yero Teaching
Directions: Complete the last column on the
chart below. Then answer the questions.

Last Total Next Total Years

City
Solar Eclipse Solar Eclipse
300
Atlanta 1 778 2078
Chicago 1 806 2205 399

Dallas 1 623 2024 401

Houston 1 259 2200 941

600
Miami 1 752 2352
575
St. Louis 1 442
785
Seattle 1 860 2645
749
Wash., D.C. 1 451 2200
2196
LOS Angeles 1 724 3290
Boston 1 959 2079 120

834
Las Vegas 1 724 2207

l.Ashley is II years old and lives in 3. The city of Atlanta has exactly 2.5
Boston in the year 2024. How old will times as many years between
she be when the next total solar eclipses as this northern U.S. city:
eclipse comes through Boston?
66 boston

2. As of 2024, this U.S. cityhas waited 4.Use these symbols (< >) to
for an eclipse to come through for represent the between eclipses
573 years: for Chicago, Las Vegas and Dallas.

Washington D.C. Chicago<Dallas<Las Vegas

5. How many combined years

between eclipses for the cities of 3137
Los Angeles and Houston? O Tanya Yero Teaching
Ifthe Moon's umbral shadow passes across the Earth's
surface a total eclipse of the Sun is seen from Earth. The
path of the Moon's shadow moving across Earth is called
the path of totality. In order to see a total eclipse, you must
be inside the path of totality. This track covers less than 1% of
the Earth's surface. If you are outside of the path of totality
you will often still be able to see a partial solar eclipse.

10

Syracuse

2 Cleveland
Indianapolis

St. Louis

Little

Rock
-3
Dallas ..

Austin

aaaaaas- San
Antonie••••

oaaoaaaaaa
-10
aoaoaaaaoa
Name:

PLOTTING A PATU
Answer each question below using the coordinate grid.

6. If you are observing the eclipse from

1. Which quadrant(s) include
the location 7,3 which of the selections
cities that will experience a total
matches the percent of totality you
solar eclipse?
would expect to observe?

1, 3, and 4 A. 1 00070 c. 70-79%

B. 90_ 99 % D. 80-89%

2. From within which quadrant(s) 7. How many from Little

units is it

will observers be able to Rock, Arkansas to Cleveland,

experience a partial solar eclipse? Ohio?
10
all of them

3. Will Dallas or Cleveland 8. you live at -9, -4 and want to

If

experience a longer duration of view the eclipse from Indianapolis,

totality? Why? Indiana, how many units do you
Cleveland will experience a longer need to travel?
duration because it is closer to the
19
center.

4. What are possible coordinates 9. Where would you be if you lived

for "Eclipse City" if it is within the at point -4, -7?
path of totality and somewhere in
mexico
the 3rd quadrant?
(-6,-1)

5. WOUld the location at 4, 3 be a 10. What are

the possible
good location to observe a partial coordinates of a person viewing a
eclipse? partial eclipse from Eastern
Canada?
if you have a boat, yes, otherwise no (6,5)
Name:

er ECLIP9E9
The total solar eclipse happening won't be the longest
in April of 2024
lasting eclipse, but it will last much longer than the 2017 eclipse. The
maximum duration of totality for the 2024 eclipse along the eclipse path will
be 4 minutes and 28 seconds. Some eclipses last only a few seconds while
the longest eclipse, which will last for more than 7 minutes won't occu until
the year 2186. So why do some eclipses last seconds while others last for
more than 7 minutes?

The reason eclipses have varying durations is tied to the shape formed by
the orbits ofmoons and planets. Planets and moons move in elliptical
shaped orbits. An ellipse shape is similar to an oval shape. The reason this is

important is because unlike a circle for instance, not all points on an ellipse
are the same distance from the center. So when a celestial body is in an
elliptical orbit, the distance from the object it is orbiting is always changing.

The an eclipse may last anywhere from a second to 7 h minutes

totality of
based on the changing distance of Earth from the Sun and the changing
distance of the Moon from Earth. The distance between Earth and the Sun
changes throughout the year. On January 4th, the Earth is actually closest
to the Sun and around the 4th of July, it is the farthest away. The distance
changes more than 3 million miles. Since Earth is more than 90 million miles
from the Sun, 3 million miles of change is only about 3%.

The Moon's distance from Earth is also changing at the same time. The
Moon can be anywhere from 221 ,500 to 252,700 miles from Earth. That
amount of change can be nearly 15%. So when we combine these two
movements, the Moon's diameter can appear to be anywhere from 7%
larger than the Sun to 10% smaller than the Sun. The timing of all of these
movements determines what the totality of an eclipse will be.

When Earth is at its and the Moon is at is farthest

closest point to the Sun
point away from Earth, the Sun would look large and the Moon very small. If

an eclipse occurred at this timing, there wouldn't be any totality.

If we reverse the timing, the eclipse becomes much more exciting to view.
So if Earth was at its farthest point from the Sun while the Moon was at its
closest point to Earth thingsWOUld appear completely different. The Sun
would appear very small while the Moon would look very large. This is the
exact situation that will occU in the year 2186 when we will have an eclipse
totality lasting 7 minutes and 29 seconds.

The duration of totality also varies some from place to place along the path
of the eclipse. The variation is due to distance once again. And since the
Earth is round, different parts of the country will be tilted away from the moon
and farther from it.

Use the chart to answer each question.

Total Solar Eclipse 2024: Cities In The Path Of Totality

Partial Totality Max Totality Partial
Location
Begins Begins Visibility Ends Ends
Dallas, Texas 12:23 pm CDT I pm CDT I pm CDT I : 44 prn CDT 3:02 pm CDT
Idabel,
Oklahoma
12:28 pm CDT I pm CDT I .•47 pm CDT 1 pm CDT 3:06 pm CDT
Rock,
Little

Arkansas
12:33 pm CDT 1:51 pm CDT I pm CDT I pm CDT 3:11 pm CDT
Erie,
2:02 prn EDT 3:16 prn EDT 3:18 pm EDT 3:20 pm EDT 4:30 pm EDT
Pennsylvania
Buffalo,
York
2:04 pm EDT 3:18 pm EDT 3:20 prn EDT 3:22 pm EDT 4:32 prn EDT

Lancaster. New
Hampshire
2:16 prn EDT 3:27 prn EDT 3:29 prn EDT 3:30 pm EDT 4:38 pm EDT

Caribou,
Maine
2:22 prn EDT 3:32 prn EDT 3:33 pm EDT 3:34 pm EDT 4:40 pm EDT

I . How much
time WOUId you spend viewing the
2 hours 33 minutes
eclipse from beginning to end in Little Rock, Arkansas?

2. A flight from Dallas to Buffalo takes 160 minutes.

If you leave Dallas when totality ends, you
will
yes
make it to Buffalo before the partial ends?

Idabel by 16 minutes
3. From beginning to end, the eclipse last
will

longer it Idabel or Lancaster? By how long?

4. What state WOUId you travel to maine

for the shortest period of totality? o