Total Solar Eclipse: How Much Worcester Will See, When To See It

WORCESTER, MA — The last solar eclipse to grace skies over Worcester in August 2017 was one to remember: skies were clear and sunny, allowing residents to view the spectacle from city parks and the EcoTarium.

A solar eclipse will return on April 8. Worcester is not in the path of totality, but that doesn't mean sky watchers in the area will miss out on the celestial action.

In the United States, the relatively narrow path of totality extends from Texas to Maine, but each of the 48 continental states will see some of the solar eclipse, which occurs when the moon slips between the sun and Earth. In Worcester, the moon will cover about 93 percent of the sun at the peak of the eclipse, according to a NASA map that is searchable by ZIP code.

Here are the details:

• Partial eclipse begins: 2:59 p.m.
• Maximum: 3:29 p.m.
• Partial ends: 4:38 p.m.

The eclipse will last from about 2:15 p.m. to 4:38 p.m. in the Worcester area. The sun will be clear of any moon cover before and after those times.

• Related: You Must Protect Your Eyes, Regardless Of Eclipse Totality: What You Need

It's still early to predict whether the weather will cooperate on eclipse day. The long-range National Weather Service forecast, however, is predicting "near normal" precipitation during the first two weeks of April. The area typically averages about 3.8 inches of rain in April, according to weather records.

The EcoTarium, 222 Harrington Way, is planning a special event this year no matter the weather. The museum will be free and open from noon to 5 p.m. The museum has a lineup of activities planned, plus plenty of room on Sundial Plaza to watch.

"Join us on Sundial Plaza with a chair, a blanket, or even a whole picnic as we watch the moon cover the sun," the museum says.

The total solar eclipse starts in 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, as well as small parts of Tennessee and Michigan, before entering Canada in southern Ontario through Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton before exiting continental North America on the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland, Canada.

If you want full totality, head up either I-93 to St. Johnsbury, Vt., or up I-91 to Barre or Montpelier — those are about the closest drives to the path.

• Related: Animals May Behave Oddly During Eclipse