Parts of North America will go dark on Monday because the total solar eclipse will pass overhead.
The rare celestial phenomenon will occur Monday, the first time since 2017 and won’t happen again for the next few decades.
States across the country are preparing for increased travelers hoping to catch a glimpse of the eclipse. Hotels and home rentals are booked, with prices skyrocketing, as travelers attempt to get as close to the path of totality as possible.
Here’s the path of the total solar eclipse in the U.S.
According to NASA, the total solar eclipse will cross North America, passing over Mexico and then into the southwestern part of the U.S., before making its way across the Midwest and finally toward the northeast before passing over Canada.
It will travel from Texas and pass through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.
NASA noted that specialized eye protection designed for solar viewing is necessary.
NASA put together a 3D model of the Earth and the moon’s path over the sun that shows where it will cross over the country.
Around 1:30 p.m. local time Monday, the path will enter the U.S. near San Antonio, Texas. It will travel northeast and reach Arkansas at 1:50 p.m. local time.
It will reach Indianapolis around 3:10 p.m. local time before continuing north over Lake Erie. Northern New York will experience totality around 3:25 p.m. local time.
The eclipse will reach parts of New Hampshire and Maine around 3:30 p.m. local time and continue over Canada.
What is a total solar eclipse?
A total solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the sun and the Earth, completely blocking the face of the Sun. The last eclipse happened in 2017, but this year’s will last longer because the moon will be closer to Earth than normal.
Mexico will experience the longest eclipse at 4 minutes and 28 seconds, NASA predicts. In Syracuse, N.Y., the eclipse will last 1 minute and 30 seconds.
Learn more about the eclipse from The Hill.
Short-term rentals in path booked solid
Airbnb’s and similar short-term rental offerings saw occupancy rates spike to 88 percent overall for listings located within the path of totality, according to short-term rental analytics platform AirDNA.
More than 95.3 percent of more than 4,700 listings in Dallas are booked for the eve of the eclipse, as well as nearly 87 percent of the approximately 9,600 listings in Austin, Texas. Almost all listings are booked in Jeffersonville, Vt., at 99.2 percent bookings. Buffalo, N.Y., followed with 98.2 percent.
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