When the total solar eclipse happens on April 8, about 31 million people will be watching as the moon passes between the sun and earth and completely blocks the face of the sun. But only a few people will have the ultimate vantage point: from the sky.
A special Delta Air Lines flight that follows the total eclipse's path as it crosses the US, giving passengers as much time as possible directly within the path of totality, sold out within 24 hours, according to NPR. The flight from Austin to Detroit is on an A220-300 aircraft, which has extra-large windows, and is timed to give those on board the best chance of viewing the solar eclipse at its peak, the airline said.
Although that flight is sold out, Delta has five others on April 8 that offer "prime eclipse-viewing opportunities," including:
• DL 5699: departs Detroit at 2:59 p.m. ET for White Plains, NY
• DL 924: departs Los Angeles at 8:40 a.m. PT for Dallas-Fort Worth
• DL 2869: departs Los Angeles at 9:00 a.m. PT for San Antonio
• DL 1001: departs Salt Lake City at 10:08 a.m. MT for San Antonio
• DL 1683: departs Salt Lake City at 9:55 a.m. MT for Austin
Southwest Airlines also has several flights scheduled on April 8 that are expected to cross the path of totality:
• Southwest Flight #1252: departs Dallas at 12:45 p.m. CT for Pittsburgh
• Southwest Flight #1721: departs Austin at 12:50 p.m. CT for Indianapolis
• Southwest Flight #1910: departs St. Louis at 1:20 p.m. CT for Houston
• Southwest Flight #955: departs Dallas at 12:50 p.m. CT for Chicago
• Southwest Flight #506: departs Milwaukee at 1:05 p.m. CT for Dallas
• Southwest Flight #1734: departs Houston at 1:35 p.m. CT for Indianapolis
• Southwest Flight #1682: departs Chicago at 1:30 p.m. CT for Austin
• Southwest Flight #3108: departs Nashville at 1:40 p.m. CT for Dallas
The solar eclipse's path of totality will move through the country beginning in Texas around 12:23 p.m. CT and ending in Maine around 4:40 p.m. ET.
An estimated 31.6 million people live in the path of totality, according to NASA. It will be visible in parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. Small parts of Tennessee and Michigan will also experience the total solar eclipse.
You don't need to live within the path of totality to see the eclipse. NASA says 99% of people who reside in the US will be able to see the partial or total eclipse from where they live. Every state, plus parts of Alaska and Hawaii, will experience at least a partial solar eclipse.
During the eclipse, it's not safe to look directly at the sun without specialized eye protection for solar viewing. NASA recommends using solar viewing glasses ("eclipse glasses") or a handheld solar viewer, both of which are thousands of times darker than regular sunglasses. You can also use an indirect viewing method such as a pinhole projector, which has a small opening and projects an image of the sun onto a nearby surface.
If you aren't able to see the eclipse or want to check it out up close, NASA is hosting a live broadcast of the event with views across the path, expert commentary and more, beginning at 1 p.m. ET on April 8.
The next total solar eclipse that will be visible from the U.S. won't happen again until August 2044.