Large swathes of North America, stretching from northern Mexico through the Midwest up to Canada, are gearing up to witness a total solar eclipse on Monday, April 8.
However, for members of the Minnesota Astronomical Society (MAS) at Eagle Lake Observatory in Carver County, this celestial event isn’t just cause for celebration—it’s an opportunity to chase the path of totality.
Minnesota will only experience a partial eclipse, with around 74% of the sun obscured by the moon.
“The closest place from Minnesota is Indiana, near Indianapolis,”. However, this location carries the risk of cloudy weather, which could obscure the eclipse during its 11-minute duration.
Due to the uncertainty of cloud cover, hundreds of thousands of eclipse enthusiasts are expected to flock to Texas, where there is less risk of clouds and the total eclipse will be slightly longer.
The influx of visitors is anticipated to be so significant that several Texas counties have already declared states of emergency in preparation for potential strains on local infrastructure.
