Community Corner

Will I See The Total Solar Eclipse In Ellicott City?

Whether you're attending solar eclipse viewing events or watching at home, here's how to view the rare celestial event.

The progression of a total solar eclipse is seen in a multiple exposure photograph taken in 5-minute intervals, with the moon passing in front of the sun above Siem Reap in northwestern Cambodia, 225 kilometers (140 miles) from Phnom Penh, Oct. 24, 1995.
The progression of a total solar eclipse is seen in a multiple exposure photograph taken in 5-minute intervals, with the moon passing in front of the sun above Siem Reap in northwestern Cambodia, 225 kilometers (140 miles) from Phnom Penh, Oct. 24, 1995. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)

ELLICOTT CITY, MD — Excitement is building in Howard County for the April 8 total solar eclipse. We’re not among some 32 million Americans living in the path of totality, but neither will we miss out on the celestial sensation.

In the United States, the path of totality extends from Texas to Maine, but each of the 48 continental states will see some of the solar eclipse, which occurs when the moon slips between our bright star and Earth. In Ellicott City, the moon will cover about 88 percent of the sun at the peak of the eclipse, according to a NASA map that is searchable by ZIP code.

Here are the details:

Find out what's happening in Ellicott Cityfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Partial eclipse begins: 2:05 p.m.
Totality begins: 2:45 p.m.
Maximum: 3:20 p.m.
Totality ends: 3:54 p.m.
Partial ends: 4:33 p.m.


Related: You Must Protect Your Eyes, Regardless Of Eclipse Totality: What You Need

Find out what's happening in Ellicott Cityfor free with the latest updates from Patch.


Right now, it looks like we could have decent weather in the upper 50s to lower 60s for the big event, but skies appear to be partly cloudy, according to the latest forecast.

The total solar eclipse starts in Mexico, entering the United States in Texas and traveling through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, as well as small parts of Tennessee and Michigan, before entering Canada in southern Ontario through Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton before exiting continental North America on the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland, Canada.

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