{"id":17220,"date":"2024-03-26T21:59:08","date_gmt":"2024-03-26T13:59:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/three-options-for-seeing-the-solar-eclipse-from-expensive-to-iffy-to-absolutely-free\/"},"modified":"2024-03-26T21:59:08","modified_gmt":"2024-03-26T13:59:08","slug":"three-options-for-seeing-the-solar-eclipse-from-expensive-to-iffy-to-absolutely-free","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/three-options-for-seeing-the-solar-eclipse-from-expensive-to-iffy-to-absolutely-free\/","title":{"rendered":"Three options for seeing the solar eclipse, from expensive to iffy to absolutely free"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Skywatchers gather at Seattle\u2019s Gas Works Park to watch the progress of 2017\u2019s solar eclipse. (GeekWire Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After a seven-year gap, a total solar eclipse is once again due to make a coast-to-coast run across North America, boosting popular interest (and airfares) to astronomical proportions.<\/p>\n

The track of totality for the April 8 eclipse doesn\u2019t come anywhere close to the Pacific Northwest. That\u2019s in contrast to the 2017 total solar eclipse, when the moon\u2019s shadow crossed the Oregon coast to begin its continent-spanning sweep.<\/p>\n

You can still get in on the thrill of the event. It\u2019s not too late to book a last-minute trip to someplace within driving distance of the total eclipse\u2019s path, which stretches from Mexico up through Texas and the Midwest to the northeastern U.S. and Atlantic Canada. It\u2019s just going to cost you.<\/p>\n

Outside the track of totality, a partial solar eclipse will be visible throughout Canada, Mexico and the Lower 48 states. That\u2019s assuming skies are clear, which is nowhere near a sure thing for the Pacific Northwest in April. Even if the sun is visible, you\u2019ll want to make sure you see the eclipse safely.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s one almost surefire way to catch totality, and that\u2019s to watch it online. It\u2019s no substitute for experiencing darkness at midday in person, but it\u2019s a no-muss, no-fuss, low-cost way to get in on the action. And it might well whet your appetite for the next eclipse opportunity.<\/p>\n

Here are further details about the three main options:<\/p>\n

Hit the road<\/h2>\n

Hardcore eclipse fans started making their travel reservations years ago \u2014 and whether you\u2019re heading for Austin, Texas, or Rochester, N.Y., you\u2019re likely to find that prices are sky-high.<\/p>\n

Total solar eclipses occur when the sun, moon and Earth are lined up so precisely that the moon blots out the entire disk of the sun, creating a spot-shaped shadow that measures roughly 115 miles wide and races eastward as the sun moves westward in the sky.<\/p>\n

Thousands of eclipse-watchers will be flocking to that relatively narrow band of real estate for the big day, driving up the price of travel. Take Dallas, for example: The lowest fare for a SEA-DFW round-trip flight bracketing April 8, with no more than one intermediate stop each way, is more than $1,000. Nonstops are more than $2,000. In comparison, your typical SEA-DFW nonstop could be less than $500 a week later.<\/p>\n

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