Eren's Final Plan in 'Attack on Titan', Explained

His actions seemed to come out of nowhere, but every single one lead to a singular goal

While Attack on Titan has always had a large, layered plot filled with secrets and hidden agendas, none have ever been as shocking as former hero Eren's sudden shift into full-on antagonist mode. Despite the surprise, this change has actually been a long time coming, with Eren's machinations having been in motion since the end of Season 3. However, given that we are rarely in Eren's head, his actions can seem to come out of nowhere. And with all the lore that has been added in the final season, it can be hard to keep up with how all the revelations add up to the current state of affairs. Now that his final goal has been revealed - and his ultimate move set in motion with seemingly nothing left that can stop it - here's a breakdown of Eren's plan from his perspective, giving context to all of his seemingly out of the blue actions that should show that it was actually a cohesive, coherent scheme.

Eren's plan started before the final season even began, after the Survey Corps and their allies successfully instated Historia as the queen of Paradis. When giving the corps their awards for their bravery in fighting against the Beast Titan and other Marleyans, Eren touched and kissed Historia's hand. As the Founding Titan inside Eren can only use its power when connected to someone of royal blood, which Eren is not, this kiss turned the Founding Titan on, giving him access to "Paths", the world in which we see Eren, Zeke, and Ymir in recent episodes that connects all living Eldians. With a connection to paths, the Attack Titan's ability to see into the past and future of its owners is greatly enhanced, and Eren saw visions of his father Grisha's life more clearly than ever, as well as the future he would eventually create. We didn't know what he saw at the time, but knowing now the kind of visions Eren saw then, his shift in demeanor from that point forward makes perfect sense.

With the realization that he could use a royal descendant to gain access to Paths and communicate with Ymir, Eren's goal became clear: to set up a situation where he could release all of the Titans inside the Walls, colloquially known as "the Rumbling," unimpeded. To do this, he needed access to a descendant of King Fritz and for everyone who might be able to stop him to be incapacitated, which is what he has mostly achieved now.

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The first requirement, a person of royal blood, has two known living options. One of Historia, current ruler of Paradis. She is mainly ruled out because Eren has no access to her. As Paradis sets up its 50 year plan to establish itself as a world power, Historia has been hidden away for safety and so that she can have kids who can inherit Titan powers in the future to maintain Paradis' military might. Without Historia, the other choice is Eren's half-brother Zeke. While initially a problem, as Zeke has been Eren's enemy for the whole story so far, Eren eventually learns of Zeke's mass euthenasia plan through his co-conspirator Yelena, and realizes he can pretend to be aligned with Zeke to ultimately use Zeke's royal lineage for his own goals. But couldn't Eren have simply started the Rumbling earlier, when Zeke and Eren met in Marley and planned Zeke's euthanasia plot together?

That leads to the second - and more complicated - part of Eren's plan, the circumstances under which he wanted it to begin. Eren's goal is to eliminate the entire world except for Paradis, but keeping his fellow Paradisans alive is also extremely important to him, especially his close friends. After all, the elimination of his 'enemies' means nothing if the people he wants to protect aren't safe when it's all over. To complicate this, it becomes clear early on that Paradis is heading toward a goal of globalization, and those efforts are being spearheaded by people Eren particularly cares for like Historia, Armin, and Hange. He knows they wouldn't want him to go through with his plan, but he still believes it is the correct decision, so his actions for the next few years are largely with the goal of keeping them out of the picture, but still safe. He also needed to ensure that the outside world wouldn't be around to stop him at the last moment, either.

To that end, Eren's actions have all been to keep everyone away from him when he finally touches Zeke. Paradis executed an attack on Marley, but it ends up going very differently than their original plan, with important changes made by Eren to help his ultimate goal. He had Armin destroy Marley's main port and directly assaulted the audience of Willy Tybur's play, mainly military and political leaders from the outside nations, in order to cripple their ability to retaliate against Paradis in a timely manner. He consumed the War Hammer Titan to gain its versatile hardening ability, which would allow him to escape any restraint he might be put in - something he ends up putting to use when he is arrested upon arriving back at Paradis after the attack on Marley.

At home, he used his status as a symbol of power and freedom to sow the seeds of nationalism among Paradisans like Floch to create what would become the Jaegarists, putting Paradis itself in a state of internal turmoil, weakening their power structure and giving Eren a personal defense force. The Jaegarists also easily sympathized with Zeke, which allowed Zeke and Eren to meet even after being separated, which they assumed would happen as neither could be trusted after the attack on Marley went so wrong. Most distressingly, he taunted his closest friends Armin and Mikasa in order to ensure they would not follow him, then had them locked up. While Armin holds the Colossal Titan, Eren knew he would never use it to escape imprisonment with his friends around him, as they would be casualties Armin could not tolerate. With all of these goals accomplished, Eren's plan was set to go off flawlessly.

Or so it would have, if not for one main problem: Reiner. Much of Eren's plan hinged on his attack on Marley preventing the outside forces of the world from being capable or willing to fight back against Paradis right away; by both striking at Marley's forces and making a frightening show of power, he and Zeke had thought they would have taken much longer to respond. And they were almost right - Marley wasn't originally going to attack again for six whole months, which would have been much too long when Eren and Zeke's plan was already set to be carried out almost immediately. Reiner, though, saw through this, knowing that Zeke was never the kind of person to rest on his laurels, and spearheaded an immediate invasion of Paradis. This inadvertently set off a domino effect of sorts, leading to Armin and friends being released from their prison and Eren needing to fight through multiple other Titan wielders to reach Zeke.

While they ultimately were able to connect, and Eren able to initiate the Rumbling, it is hardly the ideal situation Eren had hoped for. Regardless, Eren's plan was detailed and thorough; almost every moment in the final season was in one way or another influenced by and intended by Eren to set up the moment where Eren and Zeke meet, though this can only really be seen with the benefit of hindsight. Now that we can look back at the season knowing Eren's intentions and goals, hopefully his actions make more sense than they once did. This kind of attention to detail is part of Attack on Titan 's enduring appeal. After all, and it's exciting to see that the series hasn't lost its touch as it heads toward its ultimate conclusion.

Attack On Titan's Complete Timeline Explained

Young man with facial markings

Japanese anime "Attack On Titan" ("Shingeki no Kyojin") is based on Hajime Isayama's bestselling original manga, which ran from 2009 to 2021. The anime was produced by Wit Studio up through Season 3, with Season 4 (the final season, which debuted in three parts) produced by the animation studio MAPPA. The show is known as one of the best anime for newcomers due to its mostly linear, but still shocking, storyline. The creator is even known to have stated the anime improves on the manga (via Digital Spy ).

In the story, humanity's remnants live in great three-walled cities to protect them from people-eating giants known as Titans, which attack without warning. When one of them attacks and eats his mother, Eren Jaeger decides to get his revenge on the Titans by joining the elite Survey Corps. Eren's destiny is far stranger and more upsetting than simple revenge, and throughout the series we see flashbacks to everything, from the roots of the Titans' creation to old political grudges.

The four seasons arrived in a staggered fashion. Season 1, which is composed of 25 episodes, ran from spring to fall of 2013. Then fans had to wait over three years for Season 2, which started in the spring of 2017 and delivered just 12 episodes. Season 3 released 12 episodes in the fall of 2018 and 10 in the spring of 2019. The final season debuted in December 2020 for 16 episodes, then a second run of 12 episodes in early 2022. 

The third, last part of Season 4 has a 2023 premiere date , but that's just the start to the secrets of "Attack on Titan."  Here is the complete timeline of "Attack on Titan" explained.

Ancient history

The story of "Attack on Titan" starts 1003 years before Year 1, when a young girl named Ymir comes into contact with an alien-looking creature. After letting her master's pig escape, she runs from the Eldian soldiers and falls into a pool where this creature swims. It fuses to her spine, resulting in the first Founding Titan. Ymir can now assume a terrifying and gigantic form. King Fritz of Eldia takes her as a concubine for 13 years, using her power to wage war against Marley and other nations and build up his country. They have three daughters: Maria, Rose, and Sina.

Some 13 years later, a Marleyan prisoner of war throws a spear at King Fritz. Ymir leaps in front of him in her human form and is killed. King Fritz is not that bothered by this since, to him, she was born to be his slave, which becomes apparent when Fritz immediately makes his daughters eat her dead body. 

This results in three bloodlines with Titan features, and over generations there come to be nine distinct Titan forms that people can inherit or gain through cannibalism. Only those of royal blood can carry the Founding Titan, but there are eight others, each with distinctive powers and traits: the Colossus Titan, Jaw Titan, Attack Titan, Armored Titan, War Hammer Titan, Cart Titan, Female Titan, and Beast Titans. There are also Pure Titans who can't transform and are just mindless monsters.

The Great Titan War

After 145 generations, in 743, Karl Fritz becomes the reluctant monarch of Eldia, which he sees as a nation of horrors, which include civil war and all-out genocide. He joins with the family that commands the War Hammer Titan (the Tyburs) to bring about Eldia's downfall. Once the war begins, the Fritz royal family absconds to Eldia's last stronghold, Paradis Island, and the eight remaining Houses wage civil war. The Marleyans rebel against their oppressors in this moment of weakness, and by the end Marley wins possession of seven of the nine Titans.

Marley takes over the rest of the world while King Fritz establishes Eldia as a city-state, ringed by three great Walls and protected by Colossal Titans. He bluffs Marley into leaving Paradis Island alone, ending the Great Titan War, and all of the Eldians who hadn't fled overseas become Marleyan second-class citizens. They live in separate zones and even have to wear color-coded armbands. Marley even starts a rumor that Ymir Fritz got her powers from the Devil of All Earth.

Before changing his name and disappearing, King Fritz removes the memories of those known as Subjects of Ymir, who are Ymir's descendants, so they forget their entire history. The new story is that the whole world was devoured by Titans outside Paradis' walls. This leaves several clans who don't carry Ymir blood and can remember in the tricky position of either swearing to secrecy about this historical erasure or turning on Fritz.

Our story begins

A homeless girl from beyond the Walls is also given the name Ymir by the leader of the Cult of Ymir in 780. She joins the cult and becomes a figure of worship until 785, when they are all rounded up and turned into the Pure Titans that roam the wilderness. Meanwhile, Paradis establishes three military branches inside the walls: the Military Police, Garrison Regiment for internal security, and the Survey Corps, also known as the Scout Regiment, who fight Titans beyond the borders.

Grisha Jaeger is born in Liberio in 806. His younger sister is tortured to death by Marley Public Security. In 824, Grisha joins the Restorationists, a group that wants to bring Eldia back to supremacy. He has one biological son, Zeke, with Dina Fritz in 825.

Marley starts the Warriors program, where Eldian children are trained to operate the seven Marley Titans. Grisha sends Zeke to join the Warriors as a spy in 832, but Zeke turns all the Restorationists in instead. They are all transformed into Pure Titans except for Grisha, who receives the Attack Titan in the confusion.

In 835, Eren Jaeger is born to Grisha and his new wife Carla in Shiganshina. Also around this time, Eren's half-brother, Zeke, inherits a Titan along with his fellow Warriors. In 844, a young Mikasa Ackerman is saved from slavers by Eren Jaeger, who kills two of the men attempting to capture Mikasa. However, Mikasa manages to kill the third and joins the Jaeger family. When the Warriors arrive to take over Paradis, the Pure Titan who was once Ymir eats one of their Titans, regaining her human form.

The taking of Wall Maria

The Colossal Titan breaches Shiganshina District after 100 years of peace in 845. Titans are able to enter the city, and one of them — his father's first wife Dina, in fact, who is now a mindless Pure Titan — eats Eren's mother in front of him. The survivors retreat to Wall Rose.

Grisha travels to the Reiss Chapel and kills the Reiss family to get control of the Founding Titan, which he implants into his son Eren along with his own, the Attack Titan. He erases Eren's memory of all this and gives Eren the key to their basement, which has evidence of the outside world and the erased Eldian memories.

The Reiss family hides the rightful queen in the Cadet Corps under the name Christa Lenz. When Ymir overhears the rumors about this, she begins to search for her and they eventually become close. However, the Warriors infiltrate Paradis in regular human form to find the Founding Titan and manage to take the Armored and Colossal Titans out of commission for the next five years. Meanwhile, the supposed royal government sends 20% of the human population, 250,000 troops, to reclaim Wall Maria. Only about 200 return alive — which is the true purpose of the expedition, as the Paradis population had been getting out of control.

The Trost Offensive

After five more years of peace, the Colossal Titan breaches Trost District in 850. The Cadet Corps, which includes most of our central characters at this point, take them on. After being eaten by a Titan, Eren finally debuts his own Titan form and attacks. Once the evacuation is finished, Eren stops the breach with a huge boulder and is taken into custody. Although initially sentenced to death, Eren is saved by the military, who wants to use his strange new abilities.

All but two Titans are destroyed, and those two — Sawney and Beane — are rounded up for the Titan-obsessed mad scientist Hange Zoë's study. Eren joins the Scout Regiment to test his Titan abilities and learns about the experiments with Sawney and Beane. The two prisoners don't last long, as Annie Leonhart, who is a Warrior, kills them and frames another soldier for their deaths before joining the Military Police. The Warriors plan to kidnap Eren if they can.

One month later, a showdown between Annie and Eren causes untold destruction to Stohess District in Wall Sina. It ends with two surprises: Annie enters a crystal cocoon to assume some new form, and the damage reveals a Titan's face inside the wall.

Revelations

Marley attacks, transforming a whole village into the Pure Titans, which  Zeke can command in his Beast Titan form . Christa tells Ymir her true name and nature after Ymir's Titan powers are revealed. The Survey Corps arrives from Stohess, abducting both Eren and Ymir. The Scouts and Garrison set out to Wall Maria to rescue them, but only Eren is rescued.  As the Scouts escape, they are attacked by Titans, including the one that ate Eren's mother. Her Fritz royal blood wakes Eren's inner Founding Titan. 

The rebels plot a coup to put Christa on her rightful throne as Queen Historia, and her father tries to make her eat Eren. However, her father ultimately drinks Titan spinal fluid and becomes a Titan himself. The Survey Corps are able to stop him from attacking Trost, and Historia is crowned after all.

After two months, a hundred-soldier squad rides to reclaim Shiganshina, and the Warriors come along to steal the Founding Titan from Eren. Only eight Paradis soldiers survive the battle. Returning to Marley, the Warriors learn their failures have weakened the empire enough that they now may be on the brink of war with the Mid-East Alliance.

While everyone recuperates, Eren and his friends arrive at the Jaeger basement, revealing the truth about the outside world. The Scout Regiment learns that Historia is key to the secrets of the Walls, and starts to put together the identities of the seven Warriors. The surviving soldiers and refugees retreat to Wall Rose for a time before anarchy breaks out, while the Warriors retreat to Shiganshina with Ymir.

The Wall Rose Invasion

Several cadets are assigned to a new Special Operations Squad to protect Eren and Historia. Eren experiments with Hange to see if he can plug the hole in Wall Maria with his "hardening" powers. He can't do that yet — or even become a full Titan when he transformed — but he's learning. 

Erwin Smith begins to talk about overthrowing the government with a military coup, and eventually is captured and interrogated. Before Erwin can be executed, Wall Rose is breached. Wall Sina closes their gates to the resulting refugees, although it's soon discovered that the whole breach was a test to see what the government would do. A military coup goes into effect. 

The Scout Regiment arrives in Shiganshina at dawn. Beast Titan Zeke traps them in Shiganshina and a battle commences between the Warriors and the Scout Regiment, including Eren, and it's a bloodbath. Eren and Mikasa are detained for assaulting their superiors. During a dream, Eren realizes the Titan who killed his mother was his father's first wife, Dina, and that fighting her is what gave him the Founding Titan, making him capable of controlling other Titans. Eren also learns about the Curse of Ymir, which severely limits the lifespans of any Titan carriers, and he comes to realize that he has just eight years left to live.

Eren arranges for the Warriors to be busy so he can assume his Attack Titan form and take out the leaders of Marley's military. In Liberio, the Colossal Titan (Armin) takes out their navy as well. Eren eats a Warrior and becomes the War Hammer Titan while the Scouts retreat in a blimp. Eren is locked up on Paradis for his unauthorized assault, but he's freed by a new Restorationist movement called the Jeagerists, who poison the military with Titan spinal fluid, turning them into Pure Titans. Eren leads Shiganshina against the Warriors and Marley's airships.

Marley is now at war with the Mid-East Allied Forces and has lost half their navy, although they have developed anti-Titan artillery. A total of 32 Marleyan scouting ships are sent to Paradis, but none return.

After three years, in 854, the Warriors attack a fortress on the coast, Fort Slava. The Beast Titan drops paratroopers over the Fort, turning them into Titans as they fall. The Armored Titan destroys their artillery and the Beast Titan destroys the fleet, ending the war.

Eren and Historia must go on the run once again, as it turns out that Zeke plans on eating her. Zeke's powers include turning people into Titans and controlling them, and he wants her royal blood. Eren eventually abandons the Scouts and enlists as an Eldian soldier in Marleyan service. It's decided that the Titans are no longer enough to secure Marley's prominence, thanks to the world's overall technological developments. Therefore, the Founding Titan must be recaptured for their side.

The wealthy Tyburs offer support to the Paradis Island Operation and arrive ready to throw an ambassadorial festival. Willy Tybur is also working with a Marleyan named Magath, whose path to power is only blocked by Marley's military elite.

Willy announces that a play he'll be producing during the festival will answer everyone's questions about the threat of the Titans. In this process, he reveals the original history of the Great Titan War and marks Eren as a threat to world peace. Willy declares war on Paradis, which is when Eren becomes the Attack Titan and devours him. Eren then fights his wife, the powerful War Hammer Titan. 

While the Scout Regiment has a hard time against the Warriors, they eventually gain the upper hand when they use the Colossal Titan to destroy a docked Marleyan fleet. Eren defeats the Jaw Titan, using its power to crack open a crystalline pod and inherit the War Hammer Titan from its original Titan body. Eren gets ready to eat the Jaw Titan too, but the Armored Titan stops him. During their escape from Liberio, it is revealed that Zeke Jaeger has been on the side of the Paradis Eldians this whole time!

A Global Alliance forms to attack Paradis and Eren is imprisoned underground for insubordination, while Zeke and his Anti-Marleyan Volunteers are placed under house arrest.

The Jaegerists

A month later, Eren's capture has enraged the public. Eren uses his Titan powers to escape his cell, and his followers are released by their sympathetic jailers. 

Jaegerists take Survey Corps soldiers captive and demand to meet with Warrior Zeke, while Eren ends up taking his friends Mikasa and Armin hostage. Zeke tries turning the Scout Regiment into Titans, but Captain Levi kills all of these Titans and captures him. Zeke blows himself and Levi up, although only Levi is hurt.

The Jaegerists recruit from the Cadet Corps, then go looking for Zeke. Anybody infected with his spinal fluid is forced to wear a black armband. A fake Survey Corps soldier ambushes Eren while he interrogates another of the Warriors. She takes the team to the roof to expose the Marleyan infiltrators so the Jaw Titan can attack, who nearly devours Eren before he transforms.

Zeke and Eren eventually find themselves in the Paths, where the energies of the Titans reside, and Eren frees the original Ymir from her 2000-year imprisonment. The strange creature that gave her the Founding Titan bonds with Eren in the Paths, which somehow frees the Titans that make up the Walls themselves in what will be called the Rumbling.

The Rumbling

Eren walks the Wall Titans toward Marley, having gone fully mad after seeing Wall Maria destroyed, and prepares to destroy the Global Alliance. He has helpfully told all Eldians, using telepathy, that he's about to destroy the world to keep them safe.

The Eldians in Marley panic and try to warn the guards at the gate before being attacked by the Female Titan, who emerges from her crystal form. The Anti-Marleyan Volunteers, Zeke's true alliance, are restrained by Jaegerists once the Titans are put down again. Magath and Levi decide to team up against the Rumbling.

The Jaegerists celebrate in Trost and then head for Shiganshina just as the Rumbling heads towards the mainland. All of Eren's former friends and family team up with the new anti-Rumbling alliance. The Female Titan, Annie, asks if she's allowed to kill Eren when they find him, leading to conflict with Mikasa.

On the third day of the Rumbling, a new anti-Eren alliance attacks. Mikasa fights the Jaegerists and is named a traitor to Eldia. The alliance begins to fall apart as the Titans cause greater and greater chaos. The Global Alliance's fleet is destroyed as the Rumbling reaches Marley, and the world destruction begins.

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A Total Solar Eclipse Is Coming. Here’s What You Need to Know.

These are answers to common questions about the April 8 eclipse, and we’re offering you a place to pose more of them.

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The sun flares at the edge of the moon during a total eclipse.

By Katrina Miller

On April 8, North America will experience its second total solar eclipse in seven years. The moon will glide over the surface of our sun, casting a shadow over a swath of Earth below. Along this path, the world will turn dark as night.

Skywatchers in Mexico will be the first to see the eclipse on the mainland. From there, the show will slide north, entering the United States through Texas, then proceeding northeast before concluding for most people off the coast of Canada.

Why eclipses happen is simple: the moon comes between us and the sun. But they are also complicated. So if you’ve forgotten all of your eclipse facts, tips and how-to’s since 2017, we’re here to explain it for you.

But before we dive in, there is one thing to know that is more important than anything else: It is never safe to look directly at the sun during an eclipse (except for the few moments when the moon has fully obscured its surface). At all other times, watch the event through protective eye equipment . Read on to learn about how to watch an eclipse safely.

What is a total solar eclipse?

A solar eclipse occurs when the moon orients itself between Earth and the sun, shielding the solar surface from our view.

In cosmic terms, it is unusual that this happens: the moon is about 400 times smaller than the sun, but it is about 400 times closer to us. That means that when these two celestial bodies are aligned, they appear to be the same size in the sky.

What other types of eclipses are there?

Annular solar eclipses occur when the moon is farther from Earth and appears too small to completely shield the sun’s surface. Instead, the outer part of the solar disk remains uncovered — a “ring of fire” in the sky.

Partial solar eclipses happen when Earth, the moon and the sun are imperfectly aligned. The moon only obscures a chunk of the sun. There will be two in 2025.

Earth can also get between the moon and the sun, creating a lunar eclipse. This can be observed once or twice a year .

How dark will it be during the eclipse?

In any given place along the eclipse path , the event will last around two hours or more.

The event will commence with a partial solar eclipse, as the moon takes a small bite out of the sun’s edge, then consumes more and more of its surface. According to NASA , this can last anywhere from 70 to 80 minutes.

The phase of the eclipse where the moon has completely blocked the sun’s surface is called totality. This is the only time the event can be viewed with the naked eye.

The length of totality varies by location. In April, some places will experience this phase for more than four minutes; others, for only one to two minutes.

During totality, the sky will get dark as night and the temperature will drop. Wispy white strings of light from the sun’s outer atmosphere, or corona, will suddenly be visible. Lucky viewers may even spot a thin, reddish-pink circle around the edge of the moon. That’s the chromosphere, an atmospheric layer below the sun’s corona. Its color comes from the presence of hydrogen throughout the layer.

After totality, the sun will slowly peek out from behind the moon again — another partial eclipse that will last the same amount of time as the first one. The moon will recede until the sun is back to normal brightness in our sky.

How can I watch the solar eclipse safely?

In general, avoid looking directly at the sun without special equipment to protect your eyes. Inexpensive options for watching the eclipse include paper solar viewers and glasses. If you are using equipment purchased for a past solar eclipse, make sure to inspect it. Toss anything with scratches or other signs of damage.

According to NASA , it is not safe to look at the sun through any optical device while using paper glasses or viewers. To watch the eclipse through cameras, binoculars or telescopes, buy a special solar filter.

The only time you can view a solar eclipse with the naked eye is during the moments of totality. Once the moon begins to reveal the surface of the sun again, return to watching the event through protective equipment to avoid injury.

What happens if I look at the eclipse without protection?

In general, staring directly at the sun, even for a few seconds, can cause permanent damage to your eyes . This can range from blurry or distorted vision to something even more serious, like blind spots. Because there are no pain receptors in the retina, you won’t feel it while it’s happening.

The same is true during an eclipse — except during the brief moments of totality, when the moon has hidden the face of the sun. At all other times, use protective eye equipment to view the event.

What do I do if I can’t find eclipse glasses?

If it’s too late to get glasses or viewers, there’s always a do-it-yourself option: a pinhole camera to indirectly experience the eclipse. You can create one using cardstock , a cardboard box , a kitchen strainer or even your fingers . These designs project an image of the eclipse onto the ground or some other surface that is safe to look at.

Where are the best places to watch the eclipse?

The total eclipse will sweep across large portions of Mexico, the United States and eastern Canada. For the most dramatic show, it’s best to experience the eclipse along the path of totality , which is where the moon will completely blot out the sun.

The Path of the Eclipse

On April 8, a total solar eclipse will cross North America from Mazatlán, Mexico, to the Newfoundland coast near Gander, Canada. Viewers outside the path of the total eclipse will see a partial eclipse, if the sky is clear .

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Percentage of

the sun obscured

during the eclipse

Indianapolis

Little Rock

San Antonio

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Viewers near Mazatlán, a beach town on the Pacific shoreline of Mexico, will be the first place to experience totality on North America’s mainland. Various sites in Mexico along the eclipse’s path will experience the longest duration of totality — as long as four minutes and 29 seconds.

Cities across the United States, including Dallas, Indianapolis and Cleveland, will most likely be hot spots for the upcoming eclipse. Other notable locations include Carbondale, Ill., which also saw totality during the solar eclipse in 2017; small towns west of Austin, Texas, which are projected to have some of the best weather in the country along the eclipse path; and Niagara Falls, if the skies are clear. Six provinces of Canada are in the path of totality, but many of them have a very cloudy outlook.

When does the eclipse begin and end?

The show begins at dawn, thousands of miles southwest of the Pacific shore of Mexico. The moon starts to conceal the sun near Mazatlán at 9:51 a.m. local time. Viewers near Mazatlán will experience totality at 11:07 a.m. for four minutes and 20 seconds.

Then the moon’s shadow will swoop through Mexico, crossing over the Texas border at 1:10 p.m. Eastern time. Totality in the United States will start at 2:27 p.m. and end at 3:33 p.m. Eastern time.

Canadians will experience the solar eclipse in the afternoon for nearly three hours. The eclipse concludes beyond Canada’s boundaries when the sun sets over the Atlantic Ocean.

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How long will the eclipse last?

The duration of totality depends on how far a given location on Earth is from the moon. Places with the longest totality are closest to the moon and farther from the sun. The speed of the lunar shadow is slowest over spots with the longest totality.

In April, the longest period of totality will occur over Durango, a state in Mexico, for a total of four minutes and 29 seconds. Along the centerline, the location of shortest totality on land is on the eastern coast of Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada, for about two minutes and 54 seconds. But totality is even shorter along the edges of the total eclipse path; in some places, it lasts less than a minute.

How fast does the eclipse move?

Solar eclipses may seem to happen slowly, but the moon’s shadow is racing across the surface of Earth. Exact speeds vary by location. Eclipse calculators estimate the shadow will move between about 1,560 and 1,600 m.p.h. through Mexico, and more than 3,000 m.p.h. by the time it exits the United States. The eclipse will reach speeds exceeding 6,000 m.p.h. over the Atlantic Ocean.

When was the last total solar eclipse in the United States?

According to the American Astronomical Society , total solar eclipses happen once every year or so, but they can only be viewed along a narrow path on Earth’s surface. Many occur over water or other places that can be difficult to reach. A given location will experience totality once in about 400 years.

But some places get lucky: Carbondale, a college town in southern Illinois, saw the total solar eclipse in the United States on Aug. 21, 2017, and will experience another one this April. San Antonio experienced an annular eclipse last October, and is also in the path of totality for this year’s eclipse.

Do other planets experience solar eclipses?

Yes, any planet in our solar system with a moon can experience a solar eclipse. In February, a Martian rover captured Phobos , one of the red planet’s moons, transiting the sun.

The moons on other planets, though, appear either smaller or larger than the sun in the sky . Only Earth has a moon just the right size and at just the right distance to produce the unique effects of totality.

How will things on Earth change during the eclipse?

As the eclipse approaches its maximum phase, the air will get cooler, the sky will grow dimmer, shadows will sharpen and you might notice images of crescents — tiny projections of the eclipse — within them. Along the path of totality, the world will go dark while the moon inches toward perfect alignment with Earth and the sun.

Animals will also react to the solar eclipse. Bees stop buzzing , birds stop whistling and crickets begin chirping. Some pets may express confusion . Even plants are affected, scientists found after the solar eclipse in 2017 . They have diminished rates of photosynthesis and water loss similar to, though not as extreme as, what happens at night.

What if I can’t get to the path of totality?

Viewers in locations away from the eclipse path will see the moon partially blot out the sun, though how perceptible the effects are depends on the site’s distance from the centerline. (The closer you are, the more remarkable it will be.) Still, it won’t be quite like experiencing the eclipse during totality.

Remember that you should always wear protective eye equipment while watching a partial eclipse.

If you can’t make it to the path of totality but still want to experience it, many organizations are providing live video streams of the eclipse, including NASA and Time and Date . The Exploratorium, a museum in San Francisco, will also offer a sonification of the eclipse and a broadcast in Spanish.

What have we learned from solar eclipses?

In the 1800s, a French astronomer discovered the element helium by studying the spectrum of sunlight emitted during an eclipse. These events also allowed the first scientific observations of coronal mass ejections — violent expulsions of plasma from the sun’s corona — which can cause power outages and communication disruptions on Earth. Scientists also confirmed Einstein’s theory of general relativity, which says that massive objects bend the fabric of space-time, during a solar eclipse in 1919.

And there is more to discover. This April, NASA plans to fly instruments on planes to capture images of the solar corona, and launch rockets to study how the drop in sunlight during an eclipse affects Earth’s atmosphere. A radio telescope in California will try to use the moon as a shield to measure emissions from individual sunspots .

The public is joining the fun, too. During the eclipse, a team of ham radio operators will beam signals across the country to study how solar disturbances can affect communications. Some people along the path of totality will record sounds from wildlife . Others will use their phones to snap pictures of the eclipse to help sketch out the shape of the solar disk .

An earlier version of this article referred imprecisely to eclipse on other worlds. Some appear larger than the sun in sky, they are not all partial eclipses.

How we handle corrections

Katrina Miller is a science reporting fellow for The Times. She recently earned her Ph.D. in particle physics from the University of Chicago. More about Katrina Miller

IMAGES

  1. Eren, Grisha & The Paths EXPLAINED

    eren time travel explained reddit

  2. Future Eren Jaeger Explained With Time Travel

    eren time travel explained reddit

  3. Attack On Titan Time Travel Explained

    eren time travel explained reddit

  4. Attack On Titan Time Travel Explained

    eren time travel explained reddit

  5. Attack On Titan Time Travel Explained

    eren time travel explained reddit

  6. Attack On Titan Time Travel Explained

    eren time travel explained reddit

VIDEO

  1. Time Travel Isn't Possible In Any Case 😱

  2. Time Travel Explained

  3. Time-Traveler Shows a Photo From the Year 6,000

  4. Is Time Travel Possible?

  5. IS TIME TRAVEL POSSIBLE ?। TIME TRAVEL EXPLAINED ।FUTURE TO PAST। PAST TO FUTURE

  6. Time Travel Explained

COMMENTS

  1. THE WHOLE TIME TRAVEL AND "FATE" THING WAS THE WORST THING TO ...

    101 votes, 48 comments. true. I think the closed timeloop stuff in 121 was fine. It explained why Eren could have visions of the future in Chapter 1, expanded Eren's character (showing he had the will to murder even innocents, determination towards his goal), and showed that the AT was an extension of his will- everything was so Eren could get to Ymir in 2000 years.

  2. How time travel works in attack on titan : r/titanfolk

    Part 1: A Predestination Paradox refers to a phenomenon in which a person traveling back in time become part of past events, and may even have caused the initial event that caused that person to travel back in time in the first place. *Attack on Titan has quite a bit of micro time travels. I only say micro as it's not physical, it's all in ...

  3. [Manga Spoilers] Time Travel in Attack on Titan : r ...

    By knowing that each inheritor of the founding titan lives for 13 years: 13 * 145 = 1885. The wall was destroyed after 102 years (correct me if I'm wrong), so: 1885 + 102 = 1987. Eren inherited the founding titan at the same time, and he has 13 years: 1987 + 13 = 2000. That's the time when Eren dies, which means if time travel exists, Eren was ...

  4. How can Eren influence the past (Time travel) : r/ShingekiNoKyojin

    There are no alternate endings or split timelines. This is very confusing to think about, so an overly simplified way to imagine it is there is no future or past Eren, but only Eren. He's not influencing the past, because the past and future already exist. It's almost as if they're canonically inside of a story, and the past, future and present ...

  5. Why is Eren able to time travel because of the FT? : r/titanfolk

    It's not time travel. It's just a power to affect the past. Eren doesn't travel through time, he only affects the past. The type of plot SnK used is called a causal loop. Something in the future causes something in the past, making a loop of cause and consequence : Event 1 causes Event 2 causes Event 3 causes Event 1 causes Event 2 causes Event ...

  6. Could someone explain how the time travel and manipulation worked?

    So in a matter of speaking, you could say that it was all because of Eren. Grisha was manipulated by Eren's memories. Kruger was manipulated by Grisha's memories, who was manipulated by Eren's... and on, and on. The Attack Titan is just one part of the time travel bullshit though. The other is the Founder.

  7. Explain Eren Time Travel : r/ANRime

    Explain Eren Time Travel. Attack on Titan Ultimate Timeline Theory (mods please pin this) : ANRime (reddit.com) Here's my explanation of the plot (I believe OP has already seen it and commented on it). I specifically make sure no bootstrap paradoxes, or any other sort of temporal paradoxes, occur in my explanation.

  8. How did Eren manipulate Grisha? Did he travel back in time?

    Eren didn't travel back in time. Instead, he used the combined powers of the Founding and Attack Titan to feed Grisha selective memories of the future to motivate him to kill the Royal Family, as seen in Chapter 121. SPOILERS AHEAD! This page contains spoilers from Attack on Titan (Anime, Manga).

  9. Can Eren Time Travel? How Did He Manipulate Grisha Yeager? Explained

    TLDR; In conclusion, Eren did not time travel during the events of chapter 120-121. He was simply watching his father's memories with Zeke; the same ones that Grisha had already seen before. This is why Grisha carefully chose his words and begged Zeke to stop Eren, knowing this was his one chance to pass on a message.

  10. Attack On Titan Season 4's Major Time Travel Twist, Explained

    Reddit User The Last Joaquin gave an extremely in-depth explanation for the different timelines within Attack On Titan, while also explaining the actions of Eren Jaeger and how the youngest Jaeger ...

  11. How does time travelling work in attack on titan?

    3. No one can time travel forward or backwards in time. At least, not yet. When Eren and Zeke were watching Grisha's memories, they noticed that Grisha didn't want to kill the Reiss family. Eren inherited the Attack titan from Grisha, and so he was able to transfer future memories to Grisha because every titan shifter is connected to Paths ...

  12. TIME TRAVEL?! Eren's TRUE POWER EXPLAINED

    This video explains episode 20 of Attack on Titan season 4, in which Eren and Zeke take a visit into their fathers memories and the true potential of the Att...

  13. Attack on Titan: Eren's Final Plan, Explained

    Despite the surprise, this change has actually been a long time coming, with Eren's machinations having been in motion since the end of Season 3. However, given that we are rarely in Eren's head ...

  14. Did Eren Time Travel in Attack on Titan Explained

    click to enlarge. + 3. Credit: MAPPA. To conclude, Eren did not go back in time, nor did he time travel. He just used his Attack Titan abilities to usher Grisha towards his real plan. It is just ...

  15. Time Travel in Attack on Titan Fully Explained!

    Time Travel in Attack on Titan Fully Explained.All of Eren's Titan Forms and Powers Explained: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MoPUFnj8b0Attack on Titan Pla...

  16. How Did Eren Time Travel?

    In this video I will be explaining how Eren time traveled and spoke to Grisha in the newest episode of Attack on Titan/Shingeki no Kyojin Season 4 Episode 20...

  17. Attack On Titan: Final Season, Part 2

    Part 2 of the final season revolves around Eren's struggle to convince Ymir to end the titan curse and start the "Rumbling" against his enemies. Eren reveals his ultimate powers and lets Zeke travel through Grisha's memories. This arc explains how Eren misguided several people including Grisha, Kruger and Zeke, to start the "Rumbling" against 1.8 billion people.

  18. The Complete Attack on Titan Timeline & Eren's Rumbling Explained

    Attack on Titan Final Season aka Attack on Titan Season 4 Part 2 has started, Eren's Founding Titan Rumbling is about to begin against the entire world. Atta...

  19. Why Everyone is AFRAID of Eren

    Attack on Titan Final Season episode 78 and aot episode 79 just blew our mind with Eren being killed by Gabi! Is Eren actually dead? or did him and zeke succ...

  20. Eren, Grisha & The Paths EXPLAINED

    ATTACK ON TITAN THE FINAL SEASON PART 2 ANIME SPOILERS: In this video we explain what happened in Episode 4 of the Final Season (Episode 79) -- how Eren mani...

  21. Attack On Titan's Complete Timeline Explained

    Also around this time, Eren's half-brother, Zeke, inherits a Titan along with his fellow Warriors. In 844, a young Mikasa Ackerman is saved from slavers by Eren Jaeger, who kills two of the men ...

  22. Attack on Titan Anime's Ending Changes Explained

    Eren died in that timeline as a result of Ymir's curse, not because he initiated the Rumbling. For AOE fans, this so-called "See You Later Timeline" is the start of Attack on Titan .

  23. Attack on Titan: Why Ymir Fritz chose Eren, explained

    Attack on Titan is a series that saw a swift change as it progressed, going from a post-apocalyptic action anime focused on humans fighting Titans, to an epic with elements of time travel and historic

  24. A Total Solar Eclipse Is Coming April 8. Here's What to Know.

    In any given place along the eclipse path, the event will last around two hours or more.. The event will commence with a partial solar eclipse, as the moon takes a small bite out of the sun's ...