Where and when are best for seeing 2024’s solar eclipse?

With totality less than two months away, anticipation is building in Rochester for the rare astronomical phenomenon set to grace the skies April 8.

Positioned in the path of totality, Rochester is primed to offer one of the finest vantage points for the Great North American Solar Eclipse, where the moon will perfectly align with the sun. This celestial spectacle is expected to attract tens of thousands of sky watchers to the Flower City.

What time will eclipse be?

Starting at 2:07 p.m. April 8 in Rochester, the moon will begin to appear to move in front of the sun. Totality begins at 3:20 p.m. and will last for 3 minutes and 38 seconds (plus or minus a few seconds depending where you are standing.) By 4:33 p.m. the moon will have moved past the sun returning the light to normal.

Will schools have off ?

In short, yes. In the Rochester region, the eclipse will take place the Monday after a weeklong spring break at the time most classes are dismissed for the day. Most Rochester-area school districts opted to extend spring break by a day and have canceled class on April 8.

Best places to witness eclipse

The best places to witness the eclipse in Rochester include open parks or waterfront areas with unobstructed views of the sky. Here are some ideal locations for experiencing the celestial event in our area.

● High Falls

● Parcel 5

● Cobbs Hill Park

● Highland Park

● Genesee Valley Park

● Ontario Beach Park.

The Rochester Museum and Science Center on East Avenue is also hosting a Roc the Eclipse Festival, and Genesee Country Village and Museum will hold Solar Spectacle: A Total Solar Eclipse. SUNY Brockport, part of whose campus will be on the center line of the eclipse path of totality, will hold an event called Total Eclipse of The Port.

Elsewhere in Monroe County, suggested viewing sites include:

● Mendon Ponds Park

● Durand-Eastman Park

● The campus at the State University College at Brockport

● Hamlin Beach State Park

You can also watch the eclipse online. NASA and other organizations will create a link for live eclipse viewing closer to the event.

Path of totality cuts across 13 states

Mexico’s Pacific coast will be the first location in continental North America to experience totality, which will occur about 11:07 a.m. PDT, according to NASA. As the moon’s shadow travels northeast, totality in the U.S. will begin at 1:27 p.m. CDT in Eagle Pass, Texas.

From there, the path will cut diagonally across the country before ending around 3:33 p.m. EDT in Lee, Maine, according to nationaleclipse.com.

All told, nearly 500 cities in the U.S. are located on the eclipse’s path of totality.

Contributing: USA Today Network