FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – One year from now (Saturday), we’ll all be looking toward the skies.

The April 8th, 2024, total solar eclipse is set to take place on a Monday. Mark your calendars now!

For us here in Fort Wayne, the eclipse will begin around 1:53 PM. The peak of the eclipse will occur around 3:10 PM. The eclipse will be over around 4:25 PM. Fort Wayne is at an eclipse magnitude of 99.72 percent, meaning we are very close to being in the totality zone. In order to see the eclipse at totality, you will have to travel to the southeast of the Interstate 469 loop.

The best places to view the eclipse though will be in our southeastern communities, where they are more in the path of totality. Decatur will be in totality for about 2 minutes and 40 seconds just after 3:09 PM. Van Wert will be in totality for about 3 minutes and 8 seconds at around 3:09 PM as well. Below is a map of the approximate areas in northeast Indiana and northwest Ohio that will experience totality.

The eclipse will travel from southwest to northeast. In total, Indiana will spend 11 minutes and 30 seconds in totality. If you are looking for the spot with the longest totality, Franklin in central Indiana will be the city for you, as they’ll experience 4 minutes and 2 minutes of darkness. Other options include Morristown, Shelbyville, New Palestine, Martinsville, or Knightstown, who will all experience at least 4 minutes of totality.

Remember, you will need eye protection in the form of special eclipse glasses when the eclipse is not in totality. You can view much more information about the eclipse, including a simulation of the eclipse in Fort Wayne, by visiting this link.