Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 lets you see the total solar eclipse of April.

In April, North America experienced a rare celestial phenomenon: a total eclipse of the sun. Observers in Mexico and Maine saw an amazing sight when the moon passed directly in front of the Sun, making it darken the entire day.

I didn't live near the path of the eclipse, so I missed it. But I made up for it today. Microsoft Simulator 2020 allows you to experience the eclipse of April at any time.

Note: I did not figure this out on my own. Reddit user junior72 is the pilot/astronomer who made this cool discovery. They entered MSFS 2024 and set the date for April 8 to watch the simulated moon pass in front of a simulated sun as they flew around in a jet. So cool.

I didn't want to miss the eclipse so I tried it this morning. I chose Dallas Love Field as my airport, which is right in the path of the eclipse. I set the date for April 8 and the time to 1:35pm, just a few moments before the total eclipse. As I looked up at the sky, I could see a tiny sliver left of sunlight as the moon passed behind the sun. It's hard to see without enlarging the photo, but you can still see it. Please ignore the terrible hair and face of my pilot.

A few minutes later, the sky was completely darkened and the sun had disappeared. Wait long enough and the sky will brighten up as the moon moves along its path. It's pretty cool.

My favorite part is watching the eclipse from space. I zoomed out using the freecam until I could see all of North America. The entire shadow of the Moon is smack-dab on Texas.

If you have Microsoft Flight Simulator, I highly recommend that you check it out. Here's the path of the eclipse, which will tell the times that it passes over various locations on the 8th. Set the time and date and hop into free flight to enjoy the show.