ATLANTA — A group of college students will travel to Missouri to view the solar eclipse next week. A total solar eclipse will cut a path across the United States on Monday, April 8.
The path of totality will go through Mexico first, then into Texas, the Midwest and then up to the northeast. The path of totality is the prime spot to see when the moon travels between the Earth and the sun.
Below is a photo that shows the solar eclipse path.
In Georgia, we aren’t in the path of totality, but we will have a partial eclipse. About 80-85% of the sun will be blocked here.
For some astronomy students at Georgia Tech, that’s not enough. Ethan Atkinson, president of the Astronomy club, said they've been talking about making a trip out of it.
“So, the club will be going to Missouri to be in totality," he said.
Atkinson was in high school in Savannah in 2017 when the path of totality clipped northeast Georgia.
“It was cloudy that day. Unfortunately, they took us outside and we had glasses and everything, but you couldn’t see," he said. "It didn’t even really get that dark. I was disappointed by that.”
Georgia Tech student Corinne Hill has a similar story. In 2017, it rained at her location.
“I tried to see it before, but I wasn’t able to see totality. Last semester, we were able to see a partial annular eclipse, but a total eclipse is beautiful. The entire sun is blocked out," Hill said. " You can only see the corona and I want to be able to see that with my own eyes.”
Fifty people associated with Georgia Tech’s astronomy club will load a bus and drive to Missouri to experience seeing this rare event.
Anyone who want to travel to the path of totality should know that the shortest drive is 382 miles from Atlanta to Paducah, Kentucky. It will take roughly 5 hours and 47 minutes.
RELATED: Places you can drive to from Atlanta that will be in the path of the 2024 total solar eclipse
For those who decide to stay in Atlanta, they will still get a chance to see the partial eclipse. The eclipse begins at 1:45 p.m. April 8. It will be at maximum eclipse here covering all but a little sliver of the sun. The eclipse ends at 4:21 p.m.
For those who are outside and want to look directly at the sun for the partial eclipse, they must wear ISO approved eclipse glasses. The next time a total eclipse crosses the United States will be in 2045.
For anyone who wants to explore making their own solar viewer, watch the explainer below. It's a step-by-step guide that tells you what materials will be needed along with guidance on how to create it.