Count down to the 2017 total solar eclipse of the Sun with Astronomy magazine's Eclipse 2017 Widget from the makers of the popular SkySafari app. The widget lets you know exactly when the eclipse will start in your location, how long it will last, and when it will end. Use the interactive eclipse path map to simulate the eclipse from any location and figure out where you need to go to experience totality!

The Great American Eclipse is less than a month away. And the key to observing the eclipse safely and successfully is having the right tools at your fingertips. Youve got your eclipse glasses, and youve likely got your viewing location picked out. (If you dont, now is the time to put that at the top of your to-do list.) But do you know what time the show is going to start? Do you know how long totality will last from where youll be standing on August 21?

The Eclipse 2017 Widget is the tool for this job. Powered by SkySafari 5, this interactive widget is ideal for all eclipse observers, whether youll be in the path of totality or not. The Eclipse 2017 Widget is also available in Eclipse Safari, a free app for iOS and Android.

Simply choose a location you can click the map or enter an address or landmark in the search bar, then choose your ideal spot as the map zooms in and youll immediately find out whether youll see a partial or total eclipse from that location. The widget also provides the percentage of solar coverage or the duration of totality, depending on the type of eclipse visible from the location youve chosen.

Most importantly, youll immediately learn the start and end times of the partial and total phases in local time, allowing you to plan your eclipse day schedule accordingly. For a simulated image of the sky, simply click view on the right next to the phase youd like to see for a sky map showing the Sun, Moon, and even the nearby stars and planets you might glimpse as the sky grows darker. The slider on the bottom allows you to fast-forward or rewind time to watch the eclipse progress just as it will from the spot youve marked on the map.

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Astronomy magazine's interactive eclipse 2017 widget - Astronomy Magazine