The sky at totality: April 8, 2024
This is how the sky will look during totality from the NAA viewing site near McLeansboro IL.
For locations farther east, move everything in the illustration slightly to the west; for more westerly locations, move everything a little bit east.
A special note on comet 12P/Pons-Brooks: it is true that Pons-Brooks will be near Jupiter during the eclipse. However, at an expected magnitude of only +4.7, the comet will be 25 times fainter than Saturn (+1.1) and Mars (+1.2), and certainly not visible to the naked eye. Although it is unusual to see a comet during totality, spending time looking for it is probably not the best use of your precious moments in the Moon’s shadow; but if you insist, you can find it by following a line from Venus through the eclipsed Sun and 1½ steps farther, ending just NW of Jupiter. You’ll pass by Mercury (at mag +4.8) just NE of the Sun, a little north of the same line. But please don’t spend too much time on this part of your eclipse experience!
Rick Gering / Naperville Astronomical Association
Planetarium Program Credit: Stellarium freeware
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