Countdown Time to Eclipse crossing the Red River into southwest Arkansas

Many people have experienced a partial solar eclipse, but total eclipses are rare and an entirely different experience. In the last hundred years there have been only three or four total eclipses that have crossed over large parts of the United States. The greatest of these was the so-called “Great American Eclipse” of 2017, which traversed the whole country from the Pacific Northwest to the East Coast.

The last total eclipse to pass over Arkansas was in 1918. But, on April 8th, 2024, a total solar eclipse will enter the southwestern edge of the state as it passes out of Texas and traverse to the northeastern edge of the state on the way through the midwest and into New England. What’s more, there will be a warm-up event on October 14th, 2023, when an annular eclipse passing through South Texas will provide a partial eclipse experience across Arkansas.

A total eclipse provides an opportunity for entire communities to simultaneously experience a moving and educational natural phenomenon, one that reminds us of the reality of our place in nature. This webpage, hosted by the Arkansas Natural Sky Association in collaboration with the Arkansas Space Grant Consortium and the Central Arkansas Astronomical Society, is dedicated to helping individuals and communities plan for and experience this rare event. Here is a brief overview of the content.

Times & Places - Two pages, one for the 2024 total eclipse and one for the 2023 partial eclipse. Each has a map showing the eclipse path, and tables showing the expected event times. In the case of the total eclipse, this includes the duration of totality and the beginning and end of each phase of the eclipse for four hundred and forty-four Arkansas communities, the State Parks, and other Public Lands. The partial eclipse page table shows the times of the partial eclipse in one hundred communities. If requested, each community's entry may be linked to a community-level website or social media platform dedicated to the event. To have a link entered click here.

Community Planning - An outline of things that a community - whether city, town, neighborhood association or school - should consider in planning for these events. To have your local event linked to your community on this site click the link above.

AR Space Grant Consortium - Information about educational resources, events, and collaborations in the state.

Observing a Total Eclipse - Guidance on what to expect and how to safely observe these events.

History - Enrich your planning for and expectation of the coming events, by learning how Arkansans experienced the 1918 total eclipse.

To get news about programs, events, and updates to this website subscribe to our newsletter here.

Enjoy!