The April 8th Solar Eclipse: Everything You Need To Know

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TL;DR:

• On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will occur, visible across Mexico, the United States, and eastern Canada, with totality best seen along the path from Texas through the Northeast.
• To safely view the partial phases, proper eclipse glasses or viewers are mandatory. The sun can only be viewed unprotected during the fleeting 2-4 minutes of totality.
• For those not in the path of totality, the eclipse can still be viewed as a partial eclipse with proper eye protection, or via a live video stream from NASA.

Few cosmic events instill as much wonder as a total solar eclipse. On April 8, 2024, a rare alignment of the sun and the moon will treat spectators across North America to this breathtaking celestial phenomenon. As the moon glides precisely between the Earth and sun, its dark silhouette will completely block the sun for a few minutes, turning day into an eerie twilight for those along the narrow path of the totality.

Mark Your Calendars for Solar Eclipse 2024: When and Where to Experience The Totality

A total solar eclipse is no mere novelty act — it’s one of nature’s grandest celestial dramas. For those positioned along the path of totality on April 8th, the main event will last no longer than a few brief minutes depending on your location. But the full spectacle will unfold over a much longer period of about 2-3 hours from start to finish.

The cosmic choreography begins as the moon first takes a bite out of the sun around mid-morning local time along the Pacific coast of Mexico. After that first encounter, the dark lunar shadow will forge a southeastern trajectory, crossing into Texas around 1:10pm EDT. Viewers situated along the path’s centerline — from the Mexican states of Sinaloa and Durango through parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, and on towards Ohio and upstate New York — will see a total solar eclipse lasting up to 4 minutes and 28 seconds at its peak.

The greatest eclipse, however, will belong to Mexico’s Piedras Negras region along the Texas border, where the April 8 solar eclipse will last up to 4 minutes and 29 seconds. While Canada’s maritime provinces will encounter a more truncated totality as the eclipse concludes its northbound journey, lasting only around 3 minutes. No matter your vantage point, this humbling brushstroke of celestial choreography is sure to paint an indelible impression.

“Being able to see the sun’s corona emerge from behind the moon will an absolutely mesmerizing sight,” explains Walt Ribeiro, an eclipse fan. “I already have my protective solar eclipse glasses ready.”

Enjoying the Solar Eclipse Safely

Whether you plan on traveling to the path of totality or observing the partial solar eclipse from elsewhere, proper viewing precautions are extremely important. It cannot be overstated: Looking at the sun or partially covered sun without specialized protective eyewear can inflict permanent and irreversible eye damage before you ever realize it.

People are advised to ignore Donald Trump‘s example. Even after being repeatedly warned, former US President Trump looked directly into the sun during an August 2017 solar eclipse in Washington DC.

NASA and other science authorities recommend using approved solar glasses ($16 via Amazon) or hand-held viewers specifically designed for sun viewing. Simple camera lenses, smoked glass, or unproven filters like mylar are not safe alternatives.

Ordinary sunglasses, which are designed to shield only against bright visible light, also provide zero protection from the harmful invisible ultraviolet and infrared radiation the sun outputs. Only during the height of totality, when the sun is fully covered, can you briefly remove those special solar protection.

“You just have to spend the money on legitimate solar eclipse glasses if you want to see this event and protect your sight,” stresses Ribeiro. “That blazing photon stream hitting your pupils is so intense, it can literally burn holes in your retinas. It’s an awful irony, losing your vision while trying see one of our planet’s greatest spectacles.”

You can search Amazon for NASA approved solar eclipse glasses if you need protective eyewear to safefly view the April solar eclipse.

A Rare Opportunity To See The Sun’s Corona

During the few fleeting minutes when the moon entirely conceals the sun, the sun’s outer atmosphere, the corona, will be visible. Stretching millions of miles into space, this outer area around the sun of superheated plasma is typically overpowered by the light from the sun. Only during a total eclipse does the corona really get a chance to be seen on its own.

Eclipse Weather Forecast?

Of course, bad weather or clouds could spoil the experience for some unlucky locations along the path of the solar eclipse. Make sure you are closely watching the weather forecasts in your area. If your location has cloudy skies on April 8th, there might be an opportunity for you to travel to a nearby region for an unobstructed view.

2024 Total Solar Eclipse

No matter where you witness the April solar eclipse from, you’ll be watching a rare celestial event that has inspired awe, scientific insight, and influence on cultures. After the totality’s all-too-brief appearance, the moon will gradually move on and reveal the sun once more. But for those few minutes of eclipse, it should create a lasting memory, especially for kids. For the adults, seeing an eclipse often creates a profound sense of perspective about our universe and humanity’s tiny place within it. And if you have’t witnessed an eclipse before, you may never simply look up at the sun and moon in quite the same way again.

The 2024 total solar #eclipse sweeps across North America on April 8th. Here's everything you need to know. #SolarEclipse2024 #TotalEclipse #SolarEclipse #TotalSolarEclipse Share on X