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Some communities in Kansas will have a rare opportunity to view a total solar eclipse. Other areas of Kansas will only see a partial eclipse, as the total solar eclipse will just pass over the northeastern corner of the state.
Either way, it’s a big deal. There hasn’t been a total solar eclipse in the contiguous United States since 1979.
Here’s what you need to know:
ECLIPSE TIME:
According to GreatAmericanEclipse, the solar eclipse passes over Kansas at 1:07:00 p.m. CDT. The longest duration in shadow is 2 minutes, 38.2 seconds.
WEATHER:
There are concerns about weather obscuring the view in the central U.S. “A few clouds and some scattered showers could mar the view in portions of Nebraska and Missouri, but a complete washout isn’t likely. This includes Kansas City (where part of the city will see the total eclipse) and St. Louis, which is barely outside the total eclipse area,” USA Today reports. You can see weather maps here.
The National Weather Service offers detailed weather forecasts for communities in the State of Kansas during the eclipse.
PATH WIDTH:
Eclipse2017 reports that 65 communities in Kansas will be experience a total eclipse. You can see the full list here, from Arrington to Wolcott.
According to the site, “The centerline covers a distance of 41.5 miles in Kansas.” The path width is 70 miles.
MAPS & PATH:
The Kansas solar eclipse path.
NASA has published a map showing where the solar eclipse will touch Kansas.
According to GreatAmericanEclipse, “The shadow of the Moon passes over the northeast corner of Kansas. The northern suburbs of Kansas City, Kansas will see the eclipse but residents of this area are urged to drive 40 or 50 miles to the north or east to increase their potential duration of totality up to 2 minutes and 40 seconds.”
ADDITIONAL DETAILS:
Even those areas that aren’t in the total solar eclipse zone will be treated to a rare experience in Kansas. According to the Wichita Eagle, “Kansas is well-situated: more than 90 percent of the sun will be blocked in most parts of the state early Monday afternoon. And far northeastern Kansas is lucky to be in the path of a total solar eclipse.”
The newspaper notes that those in Wichita will “see a partial eclipse, where the sun is partly obscured by the moon. The moon will start to block the sun around 11:36 a.m. in Wichita.”
You can look up solar eclipse times and other information by zip code and city here.