On Monday, April 8, the 2024 total solar eclipse will scan the skies over North America.
While all of North America and Central America will experience at least a partial solar eclipse, those in a roughly 115-mile (185-kilometer-wide) path that passes over 15 U.S. states. Mexico and Canada will also witness unity as the Moon completely covers the Sun’s disk.
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Don’t be left in the dark about the total solar eclipse in 2024
There are three main types of solar eclipses. A total solar eclipse like the one on April 8 occurs when the Moon is relatively close to the Earth and blocks the entire Sun’s disk.
Because the Moon’s orbit around our planet is elliptical, it is sometimes further away and therefore appears smaller. An eclipse occurring at these times sees the Moon only in a dark part of the solar disk, and the sun appears as a glowing ring of fire. These events are called annular solar eclipses, and the last eclipse seen over the United States occurred on October 14, 2023.
Finally, a partial solar eclipse is an event that occurs when the Earth, Moon, and Sun are not perfectly aligned, resulting in the lunar disk covering only a portion of our star, causing the Sun to appear as if it had a bite taken out of it. . Partial eclipses also occur during the beginning and ending phases of total and annular eclipses.
On April 8, 2024, the Moon will be in its new moon phase and appear relatively large, meaning it will be capable of covering 100% of the solar disk when viewed from the narrow path of totality. The portion of the Sun’s diameter covered by the Moon is called the solar eclipse magnitude. According to EclipseWise.com, on April 8, 2024, this value will be 1.0566, which will be slightly above the total coverage area.
NASA has released an interactive map of the total eclipse that space enthusiasts can use to track totality as it drifts around the world. But location won’t be the only factor affecting the appearance of Monday’s total solar eclipse. The eclipse will go through 5 different phases, and each of these phases will occur in different places and at different times.
What are the stages of an annular solar eclipse?
Stage 1: First contact
In the first phase of the eclipse, the Moon will begin to pass in front of the Sun and a partial solar eclipse will begin. During this phase, the Moon’s darkened lunar disk will make it look like it’s taken a bite out of the Sun’s illuminated face. This “bite” will get bigger as totality approaches.
During the first phase of the total solar eclipse, some viewers will be able to see long, dark bands called “shadow bands” moving quickly around the edges of buildings or on the ground. Bailey beads, caused by light flowing through valleys on the Moon’s horizon, can also be seen around the edges of the Moon during this early phase. These events are repeated during the second partial eclipse that occurs after totality.
This phase of the partial eclipse will first be visible near Pu’uali’i, Hawaii, at 6:27 a.m. local time (12:27 a.m. EDT, 1627 GMT) on April 8.
Stage 2: Second contact
The first contact will last 70 to 80 minutes, the end of which will be marked by a single bright spot or “diamond ring” appearing on the edge of the moon. This marks the second phase of contact and heralds the coming unity.
On April 8, the total solar eclipse will touch down in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico, at 9:51 a.m. local time (12:51 EDT, 16:51 GMT).
Stage 3: Integrity
The midpoint of Phase 3 and the total solar eclipse is totality. At this point the Moon completely covers the solar disk. During the integrity of the sun’s outer atmosphere, the corona may become visible as white bands around the edge of the moon. This region is often obscured by bright light from the sun’s surface, the photosphere. The chromosphere, the sun’s inner atmosphere, can be seen as a wispy aura at the edge of the moon.
Totality can make stars and planets visible in dark skies that are usually not visible from America during daylight hours.
The first place to experience totality on April 8 will be Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico, at 11:07 a.m. local time (2:07 p.m. EDT, 1807 GMT). The first place to experience totality in the United States will be Near Florentino Ramos Colonia, Texas, at 1:27 p.m. local time (2:27 p.m. EDT, 1827 GMT).
The duration of totality depends on the path of the eclipse. In Mexico, fullness will last 40 minutes and 43 seconds. Skywatchers in the United States will collectively experience totality for 67 minutes and 58 seconds. Viewers in Canada will experience the entire solar eclipse for 34 minutes and 4 seconds.
Stage 4: Third contact
In the third contact, which is the fourth phase of the total solar eclipse, the Moon will begin to move away from the Sun’s disk, thus totality will end and the second partial eclipse period will begin. Brightness appears on the opposite side of the moon, as in the second contact period.
At this time, skywatchers will have another chance to spot Baily Beads along the edge of the moon and shadow bands around buildings and the ground around them; This phase mirrors the second contact phase.
The total solar eclipse ends on the Atlantic coast at 5:16 p.m. local time (3:46 p.m. EDT, 1946 GMT).
Stage 5: Fourth contact
The fifth and final phase of the total solar eclipse. The moon is moving away from the sun’s disk, meaning that by the fourth contact the moon is no longer even partially covering the sun. At this point, the total solar eclipse of 2024 will end.
On April 8, off the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland and Labrador, the partial eclipse phase ends at 6:18 p.m. local time (4:48 p.m. EDT, 2048 GMT).
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If you’re considering viewing any of these stages, the most important thing to consider is how to view it safely. Since looking at the sun at any time without adequate protection is harmful to the eyes, those watching the eclipse should take precautions on Monday.
Sunglasses, no matter how dark they are, cannot protect the eyes from the sun’s influence, so special eclipse glasses made of safe solar filter materials will be needed. If skywatchers plan to view the event through a telescope, special filters will be needed to make this a safe viewing experience.
Our guide to how to observe the sun safely tells you everything you need to know about safe solar observations.
After the total solar eclipse in 2024, skywatchers in the United States will have the opportunity to see a total solar eclipse on March 30, 2033. The entire eclipse, which will last 2 minutes and 37 seconds, will be visible from Alaska. Following this, on August 23, 2044, a total solar eclipse will be visible from the US states of Montana, South Dakota, and North Dakota, as well as much of Canada.
One year later, on August 12, 2045, another total solar eclipse will sweep across the United States, visible from California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama. , from Georgia and Florida, as well as the Caribbean and South America.
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