The path of totality for the upcoming solar eclipse has shifted after more accurate calculations were made by a solar eclipse expert, and countless areas in the U.S. originally believing they were within the path of totality are now outside of it.
On Monday, April 8, the moon will be positioned so that the entire disc of the sun will be blocked in several states, plunging millions of people into darkness during the early afternoon. The path of totality will start in Mexico and extend across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine before heading over the North Atlantic.
The spectacle is expected to draw crowds from around the nation as people head to areas in the path of totality to witness the eclipse. Meanwhile, officials across the country have voiced concerns about stretched public safety resources and an “enormous strain” on local hospitals and congested roadways. At least four states have urged residents to stock up on groceries and gas and to fill medical prescriptions in the days leading up to the eclipse, as it is expected that traffic could overwhelm local roads.
Just a week before the event, eclipse calculations expert John Irwin made calculations that resulted in a slight but significant change to the path of totality map. Many locations previously expecting to be within the path of totality are now just outside of it. However, others that weren’t expecting to be included now are.
The red lines show where the path of totality previously was, whereas the orange lines show the new boundaries.
Texas is the only state where part of the path of totality expands to include more areas. The path’s southern edge expands slightly near San Antonio and Austin. Shortly after that, it begins to narrow through the rest of the state and the U.S.
In the slight expansion, Woodlawn Lake Park in San Antonio is now included in the path of totality. More of McKinney Falls State Park in Austin, Texas, also is included.
Considering the parks are both now included in the path of totality, more people may visit them to view the eclipse. For state parks, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department urges visitors to make a reservation.
“Every vehicle entering the park must have a reservation. We encourage carpooling as parking may be limited,” a webpage dedicated to state park eclipse viewing said.
Newsweekreached out to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department by email for comment.
People living along the path of totality’s northern edge through central Texas now have to travel slightly to observe the total eclipse. This includes major metropolitan cities Fort Worth, the outskirts of Dallas, like Denton, Texas, and the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge. Outside of Texas, there have been countless other areas that are now outside of the path of totality’s boundaries.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Credit: Newsweek.