Will you be in Shadowland, Texas, to see the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024? How about watching the lunar disk cross the solar disk from Moon Beach, New York, or glimpsing the sun's halo from Corona, Missouri? 

You could visit thousands of locations to experience totality in Mexico, the U.S., and Canada, but make sure you are within the path of totality. Only then will you experience darkness in the middle of the day and be able to see the sun's corona with your own eyes, at all other times precautions must be taken. About 115 miles wide, it will stretch 10,000 miles across the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans via North America, making land at Mazatlán, Mexico and departing from Newfoundland, Canada. 

In between, it will cross parts of 15 U.S. states — and dozens of eclipse-themed place names. "I found a database of every single place name in North America, and I just searched through this database for eclipse-related place names,"  Michael Zeiler, an eclipse cartographer and historian at GreatAmericanEclipse.com, told Space.com. "These were the best ones that I found." Some have a history associated with historic solar eclipses; others are by pure chance. 

REMEMBER to NEVER look at the sun directly. To safely view this solar eclipse you must use solar filters at all times. Only during the exact moment of totality, when the sun's disk is 100% blocked by the moon can you look with the naked eye. This is possible only within the path of totality, and only for a few minutes depending on your location within the path. At all other times, precautions must be taken. Observers will need to wear certified solar eclipse glasses, and cameras, telescopes and binoculars must have solar filters placed in front of their lenses. For more information on solar viewing safety check out our how to observe the sun safely guide.