According to NASA: "The Monday, April 8, 2024, total solar eclipse will cross North America, passing over Mexico, the United States, and Canada. Weather permitting, the first location in continental North America that will experience totality is Mexico’s Pacific coast at around 11:07 a.m. PDT. The path of the eclipse continues from Mexico, entering the United States in Texas, and traveling through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. Small parts of Tennessee and Michigan will also experience the total solar eclipse. The eclipse will enter Canada in Southern Ontario, and continue through Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Cape Breton. The eclipse will exit continental North America on the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland, Canada, at 5:16 p.m. NDT."
For those in the Midwest, the path of totality is passing over southeast Missouri a little before 2:00 p.m. Totality is predicted to last nearly four and a half minutes (double that of the 2017 eclipse!), this is a "bucket list" astronomical event you won't want to miss.
April 8, 2024 Eclipse Schedule for Kansas City
(39.1225° N, 94.7418° W)
- Partial eclipse starts: 12:37:44 PM
- Mid-eclipse: 1:54:34 PM
- Partial eclipse ends: 3:11:03 PM
Learn about the solar system and the eclipse.
Learn at home. We remember what we understand. For children, this will be a truly memorable experience, especially if they learn about the eclipse ahead of time. Many YouTube videos explain the eclipse simply for kids. For hands-on educational fun, learn about the solar system with the Secrets of Space Kit from Magic School Bus.
Recommended books for children:
- Who Turned Off the Sun by Lisa Combs
- Solar Eclipse 2024: The Complete Kids' Guide and Activity Book by Joshua Kemp
- A Few Beautiful Minutes by Kate Allen Fox
- What is a Solar Eclipse by Dana Meachen Rau
- Totality! by Jeffrey Bennett
- The Sun is Kind of a Big Deal by Nick Seluk
Recommended books for teens and adults:
- Missouri Total Eclipse Guide: Official Commemorative 2024 Keepsake Guidebook by Aaron Linsdau
- Totality: The Great North American Eclipse of 2024 by Mark Littmann and Fred Espenak
- American Eclipse: A Nation's Epic Race to Catch the Shadow of the Moon and Win the Glory of the World by David Baron. This book is about the eclipse of 1878.
Make a shirt. Learn how to paint your very own shirt to commemorate the Great American Total Solar Eclipse!
Head to Science City at Union Station. Take a trip to Science City and catch a show at the planetarium. Spend time in the Science on a Sphere exhibit, where children learn about Earth and our solar system.
Go on a day trip to Hutchinson, KS. Visit the Kansas Cosmosphere, a Smithsonian-affiliated museum in Hutchinson (just a few hours west of KC), which chronicles the space race through stories, displays of real spacecraft, hands-on exhibits, live rocket shows, and more.
Go stargazing. Enjoy stargazing at Powell Observatory in Louisburg, where they offer public viewing parties on Saturday evenings. There you can view the night sky through the Ruisinger telescope. Or on a Friday night, check out the free Warkoczewski "Warko" Observatory, located on the roof of Royall Hall on UMKC’s campus. Warko is open on most clear Friday evenings through October, beginning at dusk, for viewing of the moon, planets, bright star clusters, and nebulae.
Attend a Program to Learn about the Eclipse
Linda Hall Library is hosting a free program on March 9. In their presentation, Jackie Beucher from the Astronomical Society of Kansas City and astronomer David Levy (joining virtually) will discuss everything you need to know to plan your eclipse trip: Where to see it, what to expect, and how to safely view it. Register here.
The Mid-Continent Public Libraries are hosting eclipse events to educate families about the experience. On April 8, 2024, Southeast Missouri near Popular Bluff will offer some of the best viewings of the total solar eclipse. Learn the science behind eclipses, all about the special effects the moon and the sun create together, and when, where, and how best to safely view it. Click here for information and registration.
Tip: Discover more local Kansas City Area Eclipse Events here.
Be Prepared
Kansas City will not experience a total eclipse in 2024, but the sky will still be beautiful. On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will paint the skies in mesmerizing hues and Kansas City will experience that. We recommend viewing from parks with wide open spaces, Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens, Powell Gardens, or Rooftop Park in Downtown Kansas City.
This chart shows when to expect the partial eclipse phase to begin when totality will begin, and the duration of totality in the communities in this article. Source: GreatAmericanEclipse.com/missouri-2024-eclipse.
Remember the importance of eye safety during an eclipse and follow this advice from NASA.
Head to one of Missouri's State Parks or locations in the Path of Totality
There are 20 state parks and historic sites where you can see the 2024 total eclipse in the southeast region of Missouri. You will also have the opportunity to experience a partial solar eclipse at all other facilities in Missouri's state park system. It will be another 20 years – Aug. 23, 2044 – before the next total solar eclipse will be seen from the contiguous United States, so you won't want to miss this exciting event. See MoStateParks.com/2024-eclipse for information and locations.
Or, use this link for a list of Missouri cities in the path of totality and when they will experience it. If you do choose to travel to experience totality, be sure to purchase approved Eclipse Glasses (available on Amazon and other online retailers).
Bonus: Use this link for a list of Arkansas State Parks where you may experience the eclipse.
What to Expect in Kansas City
In this animation from Eclipse2024.org, the Sun is correctly oriented as it will appear in the sky from Kansas City.
This eclipse simulator from Eclipse2024.org recreates all the amazing effects of the eclipse!
Eclipse Events in KC:
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1
Apr 8, 2024 noon - 3:00 p.m.
2024 Solar Eclipse Watch Party at Legends Outlets
On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse, known as the “Great North American Eclipse,” will trace a narrow path of totality that stretches from Texas to Maine. Here in Kansas City, we’ll get to witness a partial eclipse (89% obscuration).
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2
Apr 8, 2024 12:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Solar Eclipse Viewing at the Arboretum
Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens
Get ready for an astronomical spectacle of a lifetime! 🌕🌑 On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will paint the skies in mesmerizing hues, and we've got the perfect spot for you to witness this celestial marvel.
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3
Apr 8, 2024 noon - 3:00 p.m.
Eclipse Viewing at Powell Observatory
ASKC will be opening the doors of Powell Observatory on Monday, April 8th at 11 AM for a special Eclipse Event!
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4
Apr 8, 2024 12:30 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.
Solar Eclipse Party at Chicken N Pickle North KC
Join us for an electrifying Solar Eclipse Watch Party! Chicken N Pickle transforms into a hub of celestial excitement as we gather to marvel at the monumentous event! We will limited amount of solar eclipse glasses available, first come first serve!
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5
Apr 8, 2024 12:30 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.
Solar Eclipse Party at Chicken N Pickle OPKS
Chicken N Pickle: Overland Park
Join us for an electrifying Solar Eclipse Watch Party! Chicken N Pickle transforms into a hub of celestial excitement as we gather to marvel at the monumentous event! We will limited amount of solar eclipse glasses available, first come first serve!
