WSIL -- In just two years, on April 8, 2024, the Moon will track in front of the Sun, leading to a total solar eclipse that will transverse parts of the United States.
Totality, where the Moon blocks the Sun completely is a special, unique event that many never get to experience in their lifetime.
For the second time in less than ten years, the path of totality will cross parts of southern Illinois, southeast Missouri, and western Kentucky.
On August 21, 2017, the path of totality arced from the Pacific Northwest to the Southeast. Thousands of people ventured to southern Illinois to witness the incredible spectacle.
In 2024, the path of totality will move from Texas to Maine. The spots where the two center points of totality cross happens to be just south of Carbondale.
Totality will last for a little over four minutes in Carbondale in 2024, around 90 seconds longer than 2017.
It's estimated that more than 31 million people in the United State live in the path of the 2024 total solar eclipse, making it the most watched celestial event in human history.
