Getting to enjoy the spectacle that is a solar eclipse requires a good bit of both timing and luck. You have to actually be in a position to see the eclipse happen, and you also have to hope the weather is cooperating.
For the highly-anticipated total solar eclipse happening on August 21st, a handy new web tool from Google and the UC Berkeley makes it possible to preview what the eclipse will look like wherever you happen to live in the United States.
You can access the “Eclipse Simulator” via the Eclipse Megamovie 2017 site. The project aims to film the eclipse in all its glory from a number of different perspectives along the eclipse path, and the simulator is provided as a way to estimate exactly what you’ll get to see if you choose to gaze skyward on August 21st.
To use the tool, simply put in your city and state, or zip code. You can use the map tool to the right of the search box to pinpoint your exact location, down to the specific street address, if you really want to be precise. Then click the play button and watch as the virtual eclipse plays out before you. It’s an extremely cool little tool, and lots of fun to play around with.
If you’re interested in seeing what the eclipse will look like if you were in the exact location at which it will be the most complete, go ahead and type in Carbondale, IL. That’s where the eclipse festival is taking place, and it’s also right in the middle of the eclipse path.