The sun is about to make another disappearing act in North America, turning day into night during a total solar eclipse.
The summit show on April 8 will last up to 4 minutes and 28 seconds in pitch darkness; That’s twice as long as the total solar eclipse that darkened U.S. skies in 2017.
This eclipse will follow a different and more crowded route; It will enter from the Pacific coast of Mexico, pass through Texas and Oklahoma, pass through the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and New England, and exit into the Atlantic via eastern Canada.
An estimated 44 million people live on the 185-mile-wide (185-kilometer-wide) totality tract, which stretches from Mazatlán, Mexico, to Newfoundland; Approximately 32 million of them are located in the United States, ensuring congested roads for the must-see celestial feeling.
Kelly Korreck, NASA’s eclipse program manager, said the eclipse will allow many people to “share the wonder of the universe without going too far.”
Here’s what you need to know about April’s extravaganza and how to prepare:
What happens during a total solar eclipse?
The Moon will be perfectly aligned between the Earth and the Sun, blocking sunlight. It will cut a diagonal streak from southwest to northeast across North America, briefly plunging communities into darkness along the way.
Fifteen US states will get a piece of the action, but two of them (Tennessee and Michigan) will barely make it.
Action-packed cities include: Dallas; Little Rock, Arkansas; Indianapolis, Cleveland; Buffalo, New York; and Montreal—forming the continent’s largest eclipse crowd.
If you don’t have a front row seat, don’t worry. Almost everyone on the continent can catch at least a partial eclipse. The further away from the path of totality, the smaller the distance of the moon from the sun will be. In Seattle and Portland, Oregon, as far away from the continental United States as possible, a third of the sun will be swallowed.
Why is integrity longer?
By a cosmic stroke of luck, the Moon will reach its closest point to Earth the day before the total solar eclipse. This shows that the Moon was only 223,000 miles (360,000 kilometers) away on the day of the eclipse.
Thanks to this proximity, the moon will appear slightly larger in the sky, resulting in darkness blocked by the sun for a particularly long period of time.
Moreover, on that day, the Earth and the Moon will be an average of 93 million miles (150 million kilometers) away from the Sun.
When a closer moon pairs with a more distant sun, totality can last a surprising 7 1/2 minutes. The last time the world saw more than seven minutes of totality was in Africa in 1973. This won’t happen again over the Pacific until 2150.
How do I watch the eclipse safely?
Sunglasses won’t cut it. Special eclipse glasses are essential for safely observing the sun as the moon moves across the late morning and afternoon sky, covering more and less of our star.
During totality, when the sun is completely covered, there is no harm in taking off your glasses and looking with your naked eyes. But before and after, certified eclipse glasses are a must to prevent eye damage. Just make sure they aren’t scratched or torn.
For safe viewing, cameras, binoculars and telescopes should be equipped with special solar filters. In summary: Never look at the sun exposed without proper protection, any day of the year.
Where are the Eclipse watch parties near me?
Towns up and down the path of totality are holding star parties. Festivals, races, yoga retreats, drum circles and more will be held at museums, fairgrounds, parks, stadiums, wineries, breweries and even one of Ohio’s oldest drive-in movie theaters and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
In addition to looking up, you can attend a “space ball” in the Texas Hill Country, get married in eclipse-themed ceremonies in Tiffin, Ohio and Russellville, Arkansas, or brush up on moonwalk history at the Armstrong Air and Space Museum in Wapakoneta. Ohio – Neil Armstrong’s hometown.
As the eclipse progresses, NASA will launch small rockets with science instruments into the upper atmosphere from Virginia and chase the shadow of totality from high-altitude aircraft. Satellites and International Space Station crews will attempt to capture the show from space.
There will be plenty of live streams for those stuck in the clouds or off-road.
When is the next total solar eclipse?
Total solar eclipses occur every two or three years, usually in the middle of nowhere such as the South Pacific or Antarctica. The next total solar eclipse in 2026 will grace the northern tip of Greenland, Iceland and Spain.
North America won’t experience unity again until 2033, with Alaska receiving a single share. That is until 2044, when totality will be limited to Western Canada, Montana, and North Dakota.
There won’t be another coast-to-coast U.S. eclipse until 2045. This eclipse will extend from Northern California to Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Except for Carbondale, Illinois, which is in the crosshairs of both the 2017 and 2024 eclipses, totality generally takes 400 to 1,000 years to return to the same point, according to NASA’s Korreck.
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