When Is The Next Total Solar Eclipse In NJ? It'll Be A Long Wait

NEW JERSEY — Now that the Great American Solar Eclipse of 2024 is over, how long will New Jersey have to wait to experience the phenomenon again? A long time, according to NASA.

The next total solar eclipse, during which the sun will be completely blocked by the moon in parts of the United States, will take place on August 23, 2044, the agency said. Before Monday's event, the last total solar eclipse visible from North America had taken place on Aug. 21, 2017 — though the 2024 eclipse's path of totality was much wider than the 2017 one, according to NASA.

Unfortunately, even in 2044, it appears New Jersey will be missing out on the eclipse experience. According to TimeandDate.com, during the August total solar eclipse, at least part of the total eclipse will only be visible in North Dakota and Montana, and even a partial eclipse will only be visible in Minnesota, Oklahoma, Alaska, Colorado, Washington, Utah, Arizona, California, Nevada, and Hawaii.

There is better news for the northeastern states the following year. On Aug. 12, 2045, there will be another total solar eclipse. That time around, only Utah, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida will see at least part of the total eclipse, but a partial eclipse will be visible in New York, California, and Washington, D.C.

New Jerseyans might want to travel for that one — because the next total eclipse that will be visible from New Jersey won't occur until May 1, 2079, according to Time and Date.

During a total solar eclipse, the moon passes between the sun and Earth, completely blocking the face of the sun, NASA explains. The sky darkens as if it were dawn or dusk, and animals frequently react with confusion as they believe night has come.

According to National Geographic, "dairy cows return to the barn, crickets begin chirping, birds either go to roost or become more active, whales breach in the seas," and nocturnal birds like bats and owls suddenly appear out and about.