NASA has released a new map that details the path of the Moon’s shadow as it crosses the contiguous U.S. during the annular solar eclipse on October 14, 2023, and total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. The map was developed by NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio (SVS) in collaboration with the NASA Heliophysics Activation Team (NASA HEAT), part of NASA’s Science Activation portfolio. On both dates, all 48 contiguous states in the U.S. will experience at least a partial solar eclipse (as will Mexico and most of Canada).

An annular eclipse and a total eclipse are both types of solar eclipses that occur during the new moon phase. The difference is that in a total eclipse, the moon completely covers the sun, while in an annular eclipse, the moon is too far from the earth to cover the sun completely. This creates a "ring of fire" effect around the moon in an annular eclipse.

Get to planning your vacation early!