Total solar eclipse: How and when to watch in Chicago, weather and more
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Eclipse watchers will have to travel to southern Illinois to see the total solar eclipse Monday, but Chicagoans will still have a decent view.
What to expect: The partial solar eclipse will take place from 12:51 pm–3:22pm CT, reaching maximum coverage (94%) at 2:07 pm CT.
- The Illinois city with the highest percentage of the sun to be eclipsed is Carbondale, with visibility starting at 12:43pm, reaching complete obstruction by 1:59pm, according to Southern Illinois University.
- There will be 4 minutes and 9 seconds of totality.
Zoom in: Monday's forecast has a chance of showers after 2pm and partly sunny, with a high near 57.
- As of Thursday, National Weather Service predictions showed about 40% of cloud cover in Chicago but clear skies in southern Illinois.
Flashback: Carbondale was in the path during the 2017 solar eclipse, earning the college town the title "Eclipse Crossroads of America."
- Totality in 2017 was about half the time of what's expected Monday.
Be smart: If you're going to look up at the eclipse, make sure you have eclipse glasses or you could damage your eyes.
- Watch the eclipse from one of these venues.
The intrigue: Total solar eclipses are rare. There have been just 16 in the U.S. since 1869.