The Great American Solar Eclipse is on August 21, 2017. DON’T MISS THIS! If you have the time and want to experience this once-in-a-lifetime event, travel to one of these great locations to get the best view of the eclipse. In case you didn’t know, a solar eclipse is a type of eclipse that occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth. A total solar eclipse hasn’t happened since 1918. So don’t forget to take pictures!
- Nashville, TN: Nashville is the largest city within the path of the solar eclipse! It is off the centerline, but close enough to view for almost 2 minutes. The music capital of the nation should surely make this occasion a great time. Visit http://www.visitmusiccity.com/eclipse to see Music City’s eclipse playlist for the perfect tunes for your viewing experience!
- Columbia, South Carolina: For Americans along the East coast, this city will be the most accessible city to enjoy the eclipse. It has plenty of hotels and highways for people to enjoy the area. It is home to the longest total solar eclipse for a metro area on the East Coast (2 min 36 sec of total eclipse) and will host a long weekend of more than 120 eclipse-related festivals and events!
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park: This park may be an interesting place to view the eclipse because of the range of view that it provides. Because of the elevation, there is an opportunity to view the moon’s shadow as it moves! The entire western half of Great Smoky Mountains National Park will fall under the path of totality for the eclipse. Clingman’s Dome and Cades Cove are two of the best places in the park to view the eclipse, but visitors will be allowed to view from locations of their choice.
- Oregon: Want to be the first in the U.S. to experience the eclipse? It will arrive along the coast of Oregon around 10:15 am on August 21st. Oregon will be one of the most popular states to view the eclipse. While the rest of the United States offers a longer totality, sections of the eclipse path in Oregon offer the best weather prospects.
- Kentucky: The greatest part of the eclipse will happen between Hopkinsville and Princeton. Totality will last 2 minutes and 40 seconds here! It is estimated that the centerline in Kentucky is the closest destination for almost 4 million people! Keep in mind that traffic may be an issue because the small towns of Paducah, Hopkinsville, Bowling Green, and more may not be equipped to house so many overnight guests. However, this location is the most convenient for a lot of people and will experience the longest duration of the eclipse.
Planning a roadtrip to watch the eclipse? Make sure to use the Share Your Photos App to share your memories with your travel companions and friends at home!
