With extraordinary luck, a region covering both Arkansas and Oklahoma will witness two total solar eclipses in 2024 and 2045.
When is the next eclipse? By now, most know that Monday, April 8, will see the next total solar eclipse in North America—including parts of 15 U.S. states.
Few, however, realize what’s coming in the future. There’s one in Alsaka in 2033 and another in Montana and the Dakotas in 2044. but the big one—dubbed the “Greatest American Eclipse”— will occur on August 12, 2045, when a totality lasting up to a whopping 6 minutes 6 seconds will swoop coast-to-coast across the U.S. from northern California to Florida.Celestial Luck
On its way, 2045’s path of totality will cross Arkansas and Oklahoma, both of which are currently preparing for the upcoming totality, largely because the chances of them having a clear sky are only slightly lower than “ground zero” state Texas.
Given that there are around 375 years, on average, between total solar eclipses occurring in a given location, two in just over 21 years is an unusual slice of good celestial luck.Totality Twice
However, only a relatively small region of Arkansas and Oklahoma gets to enjoy totality twice. On maps, the paths of the eclipses in 2024 and 2045 cross to create a square measuring about 100 by 143 miles (160 by 230 kilometers) on each side — over 14,000 square miles (37,000 square km) in total — that will experience totality in 2024 for up to 4 minutes 17 seconds and in 2045 for 5 minutes 46 seconds.
