Today was the day America had been anticipating. The Great American Eclipse, a total eclipse this time.
A wide band of the country — from Texas to Maine in the U.S., but starting in Mexico and finishing off to the north in Newfoundland — was dazzled when the moon moved past and covered the sun in North America.
In Florida the 2024 eclipse, only a partial one here, was far less dramatic, but still something special to see.
Here's how Florida's eclipse scene unfolded.
Florida will be in path of total solar eclipse in 2045
Mark your calendar!
A solar eclipse on Saturday, Aug. 12, 2045, will bring a path of totality over Florida.
California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama and Georgia will also see a total eclipse.
Don't have eclipse glasses? How to watch eclipse with items from your home
The solar eclipse has finally arrived.
If you haven't had time to prepare and don't have eclipse glasses to protect your eyes, there are some household items that will do the trick.
Turn your back to the sun, hold up the item and let the sun shine through the object onto a piece of white paper.
- Use a cracker,like a Ritz or saltine. Just make sure it has holes in it. Benefit: after it's over, you have a quick snack.
- A slotted spoon.
- A colander. (that's the bowl with lots of holes in it you use to drain pasta)
- A washer. (the type you find in the junk drawer or tool section of a hardware store, not the appliance you use to wash your clothes)
- Get a hole puncher and punch a hole in a piece of thick paper or cardboard.
- If worse comes to worst, the sunlight coming through the leaves of trees will also let you see the eclipse on the ground. (that may not work so well with palm trees but you tried.)
When does eclipse start in Florida? Where is the eclipse now?
The solar eclipse started its "trek" across the United States in Eagle Pass, Texas, at about 1:27 p.m. EDT. A partial eclipse moved into Florida's Panhandle at around 1:35 p.m. but maximum Florida viewing time will be around 3 p.m.
Here are viewing times and amount of eclipse coverage by ZIP code, or click the interactive map below for prime viewing information.
NWS satellite shows view of solar eclipse from space
The National Weather Service's GOES East satellite shows an amazing view from space of today's solar eclipse casting a shadow upon North America.
What to expect during the eclipse in Florida
A partial solar eclipse will move through Florida for about 2.5 hours Monday.
A solar eclipse happens when the moon moves in front of the sun, casting a shadow onto Earth.
What time the eclipse starts depends on where you are. Check out our ZIP code search for location-specific eclipse information.
Once the eclipse arrives at your location, you'll want to view it wearing eclipse glasses as looking directly at the sun can cause serious eye damage, even while it's partially covered.
In Florida, the eclipse will be visible in the Panhandle first, appearing at around 1:37 p.m. EDT and then moving diagonally across the state.
How much of the eclipse will Florida see?
Florida isn't in the path of totality for today's solar eclipse. But a partial eclipse will be visible for much of the state.
Here's the maximum coverage for locations around Florida:
- Pensacola: 76%
- Tallahassee: 70%
- Jacksonville: 64%
- Daytona Beach: 59%
- Melbourne: 54%
- Port St. Lucie: 51%
- West Palm Beach: 49%
- Naples: 50%
- Fort Myers: 52%
- Sarasota: 56%
Don't see your city on the list? Here is a search by ZIP code for eclipse information where you are.
Last minute solar eclipse glasses
Forgot to buy eclipse glasses? Check here for places that may still have them available.
Remember, do not look directly at the sun without them or risk damaging your eyesight. And make sure the glasses you buy are legit.
If all else fails and you can't find eclipse glasses, here are ways to use various household items to see the eclipse.
Google doodle, solar eclipse edition
Google got in on the eclipse fun today with its Monday doodle drawing.
The image shows the letters spelling out Google each wearing eclipse glasses as a shadow, presumably from the eclipse, is cast onto the doodle.
No glasses? Don’t look at the sun. Ways to see it
You can make pinhole projections about halfway through the eclipse. Hold up anything with a round hole in it — a homemade pinhole projector, a colander, a piece of cardboard with a hole in it, a slotted spoon, even a cracker — and you'll be able to see an image of the eclipse projected on the ground or whatever you put underneath it. There are other hacks to see the eclipse without looking at the sun.
What happens if you look at the eclipse?
You absolutely have to wear to eclipse glasses to look at an eclipse, even if the eclipse is partially visible.
NASA warns viewing any part of the sun with binoculars, a telescope, or through a camera lens without a special-purpose solar filter or with your bare eyes without solar viewing glasses can result in severe eye injury.
"Do NOT look at the Sun through a camera lens, telescope, binoculars, or any other optical device while wearing eclipse glasses or using a handheld solar viewer," NASA advises. "The concentrated solar rays will burn through the filter and cause serious eye injury."
What time is the solar eclipse?
The path of totality of the Great North American Eclipse will pass from Mexico through Texas into Oklahoma, and travel northeast (diagonally) across the country. The path of totality will cross the New England region of the U.S. and then a portion of Canada, before ending in the Atlantic Ocean near the French and Spanish coasts.
But what about Florida? While Florida isn't within the path of totality, residents will still be able to witness the stunning astronomical event.
It will much depend on where you are, but people in Florida should start to see the eclipse beginning about 1:35 p.m. EDT with max viewing around 3 p.m.Here are the times and locations you should be aware of before the moon passes between Earth and the sun today.
What's the weather forecast for solar eclipse 2024 in Florida today?
Chances for clouds across eastern portions of the Panhandle and Northeast Florida are low and moderate for the rest of the state and could affect viewing of the eclipse.
- Pensacola: Partly sunny.
- Fort Walton Beach:Mostly sunny.
- Panama City:Mostly sunny.
- Tallahassee:Mostly sunny.
- Jacksonville:Mostly sunny.
- Gainesville:Mostly sunny.
- Daytona Beach:Mostly sunny.
- Melbourne:Mostly sunny.
- Orlando:Mostly sunny.
- Lakeland:Mostly sunny.
- Vero Beach:Mostly sunny.
- Fort Pierce:Mostly sunny.
- Stuart:Mostly sunny.
- West Palm Beach:Mostly sunny.
- Miami:Mostly sunny.
- Naples:Sunny.
- Fort Myers:Sunny.
- Sarasota:Sunny.
Will the solar eclipse be visible in Florida?
Florida won't see a total eclipsewhere the moon totally blocks the sun, but will see a partial eclipse on April 8. How much of the sun will be blocked depends on where you are in the state.
Enter your ZIP code to see specifics on what you will be able to see from any Florida location, along with when the eclipse will start, end and maximum coverage of the sun.
