The Lake Champlain region in northeastern New York State is now promoted as the perfect place to watch the April 8, 2024, solar eclipse. From the first sight of the partial eclipse to the ending partial eclipse, the duration of the eclipse is predicted to take two hours and 23 minutes in the center of the path of totality at Lake Champlain. Full totality begins at 3:26:05 p.m. and ends at 3:28:45 p.m. in the Lake Champlain region. 

Solar Eclipse Totality

Full totality is predicted to last two minutes and 40 seconds. Maximum totality is predicted at 3:27:25 p.m. Lake Champlain lies between the Adirondack Mountains of New York and the Green Mountains of Vermont. Finding accommodations early is crucial if you plan to visit. Dan Schneiderman, partnership coordinator at the Rochester Museum & Science Center (RMSC), reported that they are expecting approximately one million visitors to western and northern New York. 

The Adirondack Mountains weather is unpredictable in April and the period of time between the region's peak season and offseason, called shoulder season. There are plenty of trails to watch the eclipse from, but visitors camping and hiking may encounter a mix of ice, snow, and mud, need to dress appropriately, and keep informed about the weather. 

Other accommodations around Lake Champlain include hotels, motels, resorts, and vacation home rentals. Accommodations in the area typically provide advance booking dates and refund or no refund policies, and these dates vary by property owner or business. It is advised to do your research early and book early if you plan on visiting Lake Champlain. 

Eclipse Facts

The three types of eclipses are partial, total, and annular. Although it is extremely rare for a total eclipse to happen at the same locations but once in a lifetime, there are two to five eclipses every year somewhere on earth. And, total eclipses occur somewhere around the globe about every 18 months. 

A partial eclipse appears as if the moon is taking a bite out of the sun. An annular eclipse, also called a “ring of fire” eclipse, is when the moon almost totally covers up the sun except for a thin ring around the moon. The Lake Champlain solar eclipse 2024 on April 8 is a total solar eclipse, where the moon will entirely hide the sun. 

A total solar eclipse comprises five phases. The first contact, or partial eclipse, is when it looks like the moon took a bite out of the sun. For the first hour and a half after first contact, the sky increasingly darkens. The second contact occurs just a few minutes before the total eclipse. Birds might quiet down, and some animals may change eating and sleeping habits at this point. 

The third contact is the total eclipse. The fourth and fifth contacts appear in reverse of the first and second contacts. NASA supplies much of the scientific and timeline information on the April 8, 2024, eclipse websites. According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), “A total solar eclipse is not noticeable until the sun is more than 90 percent covered by the moon. At 99 percent coverage, daytime lighting resembles local twilight.”

History of Eclipses

Eclipses have fascinated the human race and disturbed animal and bird instinctual habits through the ages of time. Humans began recording them in ancient times. Ancient Chinese scribes in Anyang wrote this about eclipses: “The sun has been eaten”. These scribes recorded eclipse dates on tortoise shells and oxen shoulder blades, called oracle bones, in 1226 B.C., 1198 B.C., 1172 B.C., 1163 B.C., and 1161 B.C.  

The April 8, 2024, eclipse will enter the North American Continent near Mazatlán on Mexico's Pacific Coast, cross Mexico’s central desert region, enter the U.S. at Texas, then pass over Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Tennessee, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. Next, it will travel into Canada over Southern Ontario and exit continental North America on the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland, Canada, at 5:16 p.m., Newfoundland time.

NASA’s Shortened Time Table for the April 8, 2024, U.S. Total Eclipse