Watch the eclipse with us!
The next solar eclipse in Tucson is a partial eclipse on Monday, April 8, 2024! Locally, we will see about 75% of the Sun's diameter covered by the Moon. Gather your friends and hang out on the UA Mall outside Flandrau. Look out for solar telescopes nearby and feel free to take a break inside Flandrau and enjoy reduced science exhibit admission of only $5. Following the eclipse, there will be exciting planetarium shows throughout the day.
Tucson won't see comparable coverage from a solar eclipse like this for another 21 years in the year 2045.
Eclipse Timeline
| 10:06AM | Partial Solar Eclipse Begins |
| 11:19AM | Max view (time when the maximum amount of the Sun's disk is covered) |
| 12:36PM | Partial Solar Eclipse Ends |
Buy Solar Viewing Glasses at Flandrau!
Certified solar viewing glasses (with a fun Flandrau design and logo!) are available at Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium now and during the event for $5. Proceeds support Tucson's only science center and planetarium.
Depending on demand, an additional cash-only line may form on the day of the event and is typically much faster than card payments for solar glasses.
Safety info: Flandrau solar viewing glasses are ISO certified and "conform to and meet the Transmission Requirements of ISO 12312-2, Filters for Direct Observation of the Sun."
Learn more about the eclipse from Tucson's perspective!
A solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth. The Moon covers the Sun from our perspective, making it look like the Sun is disappearing. What makes a solar eclipse partial is that the line between the Earth, Moon, and Sun isn't perfectly straight. Because of this, part of the Sun stays visible, giving it the appearance of a crescent.
This eclipse will be total for viewers along a narrow path which starts in the south Pacific, then runs through Mexico, the U.S. from Texas to Maine, and southeastern Canada, and finally ends in the north Atlantic. Tucson is about 560 miles from this path, which is why we'll see a partial eclipse at this location.
From Tucson we will see about 75% of the Sun's diameter and 70% of the Sun's area covered by the Moon. Our next chance to see a solar eclipse will be in 2028, but only a small fraction of the Sun will be covered at that time. The next eclipse we'll see that's as good as this one will be in 2045.
See NASA's overview of solar eclipse information.
More Tucson-specific info from Time & Date.
During an annular eclipse, it is never safe to look directly at the Sun without specialized eye protection designed for solar viewing. Review these safety guidelines to prepare for Apr. 8, 2024.