Located in Southern Indiana, this small city is said to be one of the best locations in the country to view the solar eclipse.

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April 8th, 2024

We are just over a month away from the big day when we will all get to experience a once-in-a-lifetime event, a solar eclipse in the path of totality.   According to NASA the path of totality will go through parts of 13 different states including Illinois, Kentucky, and Indiana.

Here in the Tri-State, we are located along the path of totality, so what does that mean?  NASA explains totality as being able to experience the moon fully blocking the sun so for a few minutes we will be in the moon's shadow.

A total solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, completely blocking the face of the Sun. People viewing the eclipse from locations where the Moon’s shadow completely covers the Sun – known as the path of totality – will experience a total solar eclipse. The sky will darken, as if it were dawn or dusk. Weather permitting, people along the path of totality will see the Sun’s corona, or outer atmosphere, which is usually obscured by the bright face of the Sun.

Anywhere along the path of totality will be a great place to view the solar eclipse, but if you want to get the most out of your eclipse viewing experience, might I suggest a little city by the name of Vincennes?

Vincennes, Indiana

Vincennes is a city in Southern Indiana of about 16,000 people, and it's also the oldest city in the state.  Vincennes was recently named by Astronomy.com as one of the best places to view the solar eclipse along the path of totality.

The reason Astronomy rated Vincennes among the best places to view the eclipse is because it sits on the eclipse's center line.

This small city of some 16,000 residents lies along U.S. Highway 50 (east-west) and U.S. Highway 150, which becomes U.S. Hwy. 41 (north-south). It’s a quick hop from Interstate 69. More importantly, it sits squarely on the eclipse’s center line, so it will probably be a popular destination for inhabitants of the region.

Eclipse starts: 1:46:59 p.m. EDT
Eclipse ends: 4:20:57 p.m. EDT
Maximum eclipse: 3:04:55 p.m. EDT
Sun’s altitude at maximum eclipse: 54°
Duration of totality: 4 minutes, 5 seconds
Width of Moon’s shadow: 114.5 miles (184.3 km)

A whopping four whole minutes of totality!