North Dakota’s Celestial View That Won’t Come Again Until 2044

Something is about to happen in North Dakota and across the United States that won't happen again until 2044.

I'm not sure I will even be alive in 2044, so I better take it all in.  So should you because it can be quite the spectacle.

According to an article on NASA, we can expect a partial solar eclipse on Monday, April 8th.  We will be quite a ways from totality but it will still be something you don't see every day.

When can we expect the show in the sky to begin and end in North Dakota?

It will begin at 12:46 pm Central time.  The maximum coverage for the solar eclipse will take place at 1:54 pm.  The partial solar eclipse will end at 3:03 pm.  So, you will get roughly 2 hours and 15 minutes to take in this cosmic show.  We should see about 55% coverage in Bismarck and a little better than that in the southeast part of North Dakota.

As you can see by the map above the optimum place to view this year's solar eclipse will run from a line from Texas through Maine.

This is not something you can view with standard sunglasses.

You will need an appropriate solar filter.  When purchasing eclipse glasses, make sure you buy them from a reputable telescope dealer.  Experts say you should avoid do-it-yourself hack glasses you might see online. Otherwise, eye damage or even blindness could occur.

One last thing, let's hope it won't be cloudy or we will miss the show altogether.  Again, 2044 seems like forever from now.