astronomy
Get Ready to Witness the Breathtaking Total Solar Eclipse of 2024 Across North America!
The countdown has officially begun for the great North American solar eclipse, set to occur on Monday, April 8, 2024.
The total solar eclipse of August 21, 2017, as seen from Madras, Oregon. This is a composite of short, medium, and long exposures. No single exposure can capture the huge range of brightness exhibited by the solar corona, which is sculpted by the Sun’s magnetic field. Several red solar prominences (eruptions of glowing hydrogen gas) are visible, as are a couple of stars. No filter was used for the exposures, as totality is about as bright as the full Moon and just as safe to look at. At all other times, though, a safe solar filter is required to observe or photograph the Sun. Click on the image or here for a larger version.
Photo by Rick Fienberg, processing by Sean Walker; courtesy TravelQuest International and Sky & Telescope
Countdown to the Total Solar Eclipse
The countdown has officially begun for the great North American solar eclipse, set to occur on Monday, April 8, 2024. This natural phenomenon will occur when the Moon passes directly between Earth and the Sun, blocking the Sun’s bright face and revealing its wispy outer atmosphere, the solar corona. This total solar eclipse will darken parts of Eastern Canada, sweep from Texas to Maine, and cross Mexico. Nearly everyone in North America will get a chance to witness a partial solar eclipse, while those within the narrow path of the Moon’s dark shadow will experience the real excitement for a few fleeting minutes.
The annular solar eclipse of May 10, 1994, as seen from Ogunquit, Maine. The sky appears black because the photograph was made through a safe solar filter, which blocks all but 1 part in 100,000 of the incident light. This photo and the one above, of a total solar eclipse, are at the same scale. Click on the image or here for a larger version.
Photo by Richard Tresch Fienberg; courtesy Sky & Telescope and the American Astronomical Society.
The annular solar eclipse, occurring on Saturday, October 14, 2023, will be visible within a roughly 125-mile-wide path from Oregon to Texas and on into Mexico, Central America, and northern South America. Most North Americans outside the path will experience a partial solar eclipse.
From beginning to end, a solar eclipse lasts up to about 3 hours. The Moon slowly covers the Sun, then uncovers it, during the beginning and ending partial phases. The real excitement comes in the middle, but only for those within the narrow path of the Moon’s dark shadow, and only for a few fleeting minutes.
It is important to note that during partial and annular solar eclipses, the Sun remains dangerously bright at all times and must never be looked at directly except through special-purpose “eclipse glasses” or handheld viewers that meet the requirements of the ISO 12312-2 international standard. During totality, however, you can safely view the eclipsed Sun without eye protection.
According to Rick Fienberg, Project Manager of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) Solar Eclipse Task Force and Senior Contributing Editor of Sky & Telescope, “if you can get yourself into the path of the Moon’s shadow for a total solar eclipse, it’s definitely worth the effort. A 99% partial solar eclipse doesn’t get you 99% of the experience of a total solar eclipse — the last 1% is literally the difference between night and day.”
The AAS Solar Eclipse Task Force, partnering with the outreach team for NASA’s PUNCH mission, is holding a planning workshop in June 2023 for everyone involved or wanting to become involved in preparing their community for the upcoming North American solar eclipses, whether on or off the eclipse path(s). Attendees will include amateur and professional astronomers; formal and informal educators; local, state, and national government officials; representatives from the tourism and hospitality industries; professionals in health, safety, transportation, and emergency management; local, state, and national park rangers; and artists, filmmakers, science writers, and event planners.
We get solar eclipses because, by an amazing cosmic coincidence, the Sun and Moon appear almost exactly the same size in our sky. Our planet is closest to the Sun (perihelion) in early January and farthest (aphelion) in early July, and the Sun appears about 3% wider in January than in July. The eclipse geometry is fascinating, and it is worth learning more about how these natural phenomena occur.
In conclusion, the countdown has officially begun for the great North American solar eclipse. Whether you are within the narrow path of the Moon’s dark shadow or experiencing a partial solar eclipse, it is important to view the eclipsed Sun safely. Don’t miss out on this once-in-a-generation opportunity to witness the magnificent solar corona and other noteworthy phenomena.
MORE INFORMATION
For more information about the October 2023 annular eclipse, see “Solar and Lunar Eclipses in 2023” on Sky & Telescope’s website. A thorough preview of the April 2024 total solar eclipse appears in the April 2023 issue of Sky & Telescope magazine, now on newsstands.
You can get local circumstances of upcoming solar (and lunar) eclipses for cities worldwide on TimeandDate.com’s Eclipses page.