Total Eclipse Indiana 2024

* Protective eyewear needed for partial portion of the eclipse.  The above times (EDT) are for Indianapolis, IN.  Determine times for your location. Eclipse glasses can be purchased at the observatory during our public weekend hours at a cost of $2 per pair.

About the 2024 Total Eclipse

• When will it be? – On April 8, 2024, at 3:06 PM EDT the long total solar eclipse drought will finally end for Indianapolis when the circle city experiences its first total solar eclipse in 819 years!  The various phases and times of the eclipse can be found here for your particular location. Our next total solar eclipse in Indianapolis will not be until October of 2153.
• Where will it be? – Though all of Indiana will experience a partial eclipse only the southeastern half of the state will be in the path of totality.  The path of totality will be about 115 miles wide and will stretch from near Friendship to Frankfort with Franklin on the center line.  Holcomb Observatory and Planetarium, one of the largest public observatories in the nation, and Indianapolis will be near the center of the path.  Outside of this path of totality the Sun will remain shining though at a reduced amount and you cannot look directly at the Sun without protection during its partial phases.
• Why  should I be in the path of totality? – In the path of totality is where all the magic occurs!   As totality nears the birds will begin to roost, insects will begin chirping, the sky will take on a strange hue as the Moon’s shadow comes toward you at 2000 mph, it will then get dark, the brighter stars and planets will appear, and the totally eclipsed Sun will appear as a black orb with its beautiful outer corona revealed.  So make sure that you get yourself into the path of totality, even if it is just a couple of miles within the path!  Just remember that even if you have a 99% partially eclipsed Sun, it is still 0% totality and you’d miss all the wonderful magic.
• How long will totality will last?   – During totality the Moon will completely cover the Sun causing day to turn quickly to twilight. At the very center of the path the Sun will be totally eclipsed for nearly four minutes. For the Indianapolis area, totality will last roughly 3 minutes 50 seconds.  The partial phases (eye protection required) will last roughly 1 hour 20 minutes either side of totality.
• Is it safe to be outside during the eclipse? – Absolutely!  Sunlight during an eclipse is no different than normal. Just wear proper eye protection to look directly at the Sun. You should never look directly at the Sun without solar viewing glasses or filters sold by astronomical specialists which block more than 99.999% of visible light and 100% of Infrared and Ultraviolet light.  Holcomb Observatory will be selling eclipse glasses in the run up to the eclipse.
• How rare are total solar eclipses? – Your chances of seeing a total solar eclipse at any given location on the Earth is roughly once every 375 years.  It’s not that total solar eclipses are rare in how often they occur — they occur every year or two somewhere on the Earth’s surface — it’s that width of the totality is relatively small at around 100 miles.  So they are literally a once in a lifetime event.
• What is Holcomb Observatory doing? –  Though we are months away from this spectacular event, Holcomb Observatory and Planetarium will be  providing educational programming and events highlighting this eclipse, well before and on the day of  the total eclipse. See our current event listings below.

Upcoming Eclipse Events

Eclipse glasses will be available at all shows at a cost of $2 per pair

• Group Tours – To prep yourself and others for the upcoming eclipse(s) try scheduling a private group tour.  Due to this important upcoming astronomical event we highly recommend that group tours choose the planetarium program Eclipse: The Sun Revealed.  This program will tell you all you need to know about the most impressive wonder the sky has to offer and will have audiences ready for the Great American Eclipse of 2024.
• Fall 2023 – We have an appetizer before the main event in April of 2024.   On October 14, 2023 we’ll have a partial solar eclipse in Indiana.  Nearly 50% of the Sun will be covered by the Moon.   During September and October our  public programming at Holcomb Observatory will focus on this eclipse.  And if skies are clear we’ll have public viewing of the partial eclipse.  Our feature fulldome planetarium show will be Eclipse: The Sun Revealed focusing on the total solar eclipse coming to Indiana in April 2024.
• February to April 2024  – We will be hosting eclipse-related activities on the Butler University campus before and on the day of the total eclipse.  Once Again our feature fulldome planetarium show will be Eclipse: The Sun Revealed focusing on the total solar eclipse coming to Indiana in April 2024.
• The Big day! April 8th, 2024 –  We are planning activities on the day of the eclipse.  We will have both  a live web feed of the solar eclipse and we will have a number of solar telescopes available for public viewing on the green spaces surrounding Holcomb Observatory for viewing the eclipse.   Note that eclipse glasses are also fine also!  But our telescopes will have solar filters and allow visitors to see the partial portion of the solar eclipse in much more detail.  So not only can you watch the Moon  slowly cover the Sun,  you’ll also be able to see the many sunspots on the solar surface.  Keep in mind this is all weather dependent of course!

Viewing the Eclipse

A telescope will not needed to view this eclipse; just proper safety eye wear during partial phases such eclipse glasses, or indirect viewing methods such as the pinhole method or mirror projection method.

It is safe to be outside during an eclipse. Sunlight during an eclipse is no different than normal. Just wear proper eye protection to look directly at the Sun. You should never look directly at the Sun without solar viewing glasses or filters sold by astronomical specialists which block more than 99.999% of visible light and 100% of Infrared and Ultraviolet light. The only time the Sun can be viewed directly is during totality when it is safe to remove your eclipse viewers.

Here are our recommendations for viewing any solar eclipse:

• Eclipse glasses/viewers (highly recommended—buy them early this time!  These can be purchased at  Holcomb Observatory during our public weekend tours  at a cost of $2 per pair )
• Pinhole method
• Mirror Projection method