Imagine being in the perfect place for an astronomical wonder…again! Southern Illinois University Carbondale is located at the intersection of the 2017 and 2024 total solar eclipse paths of totality where you can experience this twice in a lifetime awe-inspiring event on April 8, 2024.

While the entire country will see a partial solar eclipse, you must be in the narrow path of totality that sweeps across Southern Illinois to experience the unique features of a total solar eclipse. Only at this time and in the right location can you witness the sky darken as if it was night as the Moon blocks out all direct sunlight and the solar corona, the atmosphere of the Sun, reveals itself. In witnessing this event for the first time, people are often overcome with emotion and awe as the air cools, planets are visible, and an incredible 360 degree sunset is visible as the shadow of the Moon is cast on the earth.

On August 21, 2017, a total solar eclipse path stretched across the entire United States, reaching its point of greatest duration (GD) a few miles south of Carbondale. This region in southern Illinois is not only in the path of the 2017 eclipse, but also the 2024 eclipse, making it a unique location for being able to perform observations of both eclipses from the same location.

Carbondale is on the center-line of the path of totality and will see 4 minutes and 9 seconds of totality for eclipse 2024, nearly double what was seen in 2017.The two eclipse paths form an intersection just south of the SIU campus around Cedar Lake.