Total Solar Eclipse on April 8, 2024

Overview

A total solar eclipse tracked northeastward across the United States on the afternoon of April 8th, passing from Texas to Maine. The path of totality crossed across much of southeast Missouri, southern Illinois, and southwest Indiana, as well as portions of western Kentucky nearest to the Ohio River. Outside of totality, the remainder of our region experienced at least 97% solar obscuration. Portions of our region were lucky enough to witness two total solar eclipses in less than 7 years. The August 2017 total eclipse criss-crossed across our area, moving east-southeast from Oregon to South Carolina.

In a solar eclipse, the moon passes between the sun and earth, blocking all or part of the sun. In a total solar eclipse like this one, the sun is completely blocked, causing a period of darkness (as long as 4 minutes from Poplar Bluff to Cape Girardeau to Carbondale and Mount Carmel). In another type of solar eclipse, called an "annular" eclipse, the moon is not large enough to completely block the sun, so a ring of light is still observed around it at the peak.

Temperature Observations Temperatures rose into the mid to upper 70s by 1 PM CDT across our region. They then dropped anywhere from 5 to 11 degrees during or shortly after totality, which was around 2 PM. Even those areas that weren't in the path of totality across western Kentucky experienced a 4 to 6 degree drop due to the amount of incoming radiation being reduced. Thereafter, they quickly rose back into the mid to upper 70s by 3 or 3:30 PM.

Location	Temperature Fall	Highest Temperature (Before Eclipse)	Lowest Temperature
Cape Girardeau, MO	10	76	66
Carbondale, IL	9	78	69
Carmi, IL	10	76	66
Evansville, IN	7	75	68
Madisonville, KY	5	76	71
Mount Carmel, IL	5	76	71
Mount Vernon, IL	11	77	66
Owensboro, KY	5	75	70
Paducah, KY	6	77	71
Perryville, MO	8	77	69
Poplar Bluff, MO	8	79	71

Satellite Visible satellite imagery easily shows where the eclipse shadow is moving across an area. In this image, taken around 2 pm CDT, much of the Midwest is blacked out by the lack of light. This satellite loop shows the track of the eclipse.

Photos (Click on images to enlarge) Here is a sampling of pictures we have received from around our area during the eclipse.


NWS Paducah - You can see Venus to the bottom right of the eclipse	Dale, IL via Mark Todd	Dale, IL via Mark Todd	Energy, IL via Michael Bruce


Hardin County via Chevas Walker	Hardin County via Chevas Walker	Horseshoe Lake via David Elliott	Franklin County, IL via Beth Budd de Groof


Franklin County, IL via Beth Budd de Groof	Keith Hertenstein	Old Shawneetown, IL via Kim Knight	Old Shawneetown, IL via Kim Knight