The next total solar eclipse—when the Moon completely covers the Sun’s face—may be your last chance to see it happen for decades to come.
Such an event is expected to cross Mexico, the United States, and Canada on April 8, 2024. And according to NASA, this will be the last total solar eclipse visible from the contiguous United States until August 2044.
During a total solar eclipse, the moon passes between the sun and the Earth, blocking the sun’s light and darkening the sky as if it were early in the morning or late in the evening. The last time such an eclipse occurred was in the USA. August 2017when people could see the event for the first time across the entire continent almost 100 years.
Total solar eclipses occur every one to three years, but events are usually only visible from Earth’s poles or mid-ocean.
While next year’s eclipse won’t be seen from coast to coast, the path to totality runs through a dozen states, including Texas, Arkansas, New York, and Pennsylvania. Totality will begin over the South Pacific Ocean before crossing over Mexico to the United States and will end after crossing Canada’s Newfoundland and Labrador. States not on the path to totality will still be able to see a partial solar eclipse.
According to NASA, the first point in North America that is expected to witness integrity is the Pacific coast of Mexico, around 11:07 a.m. PDT. While the eclipse lasts for several hours, totality will only last about four minutes. It’s only safe for people to remove their special eclipse glasses within a few minutes.
what you can expect
The moment of a long-awaited total solar eclipse – totality – is only a few minutes in a process that takes hours, and apart from this moment, it is very important that people wear special eclipse glasses to avoid hurting their eyes.
The event, called the partial phase, will begin when the moon has not yet completely covered the sun, giving the giant star a crescent shape. This can take between 70 and 80 minutes in most places. As the moon completely closes, “Baily Beads” will appear – tiny rays of light from the sun that quickly form paper along the moon’s horizon. Then, just before totality, the beads will disappear, leaving a single bright spot called the “diamond ring”.
That’s when the moment finally comes – the sky is dark and the sun looks like a glowing black orb.
“During totality, take a few seconds to observe the world around you. You can see a 360-degree sunset. You can also see some particularly bright stars or planets in the dark sky,” says NASA. “The temperature will drop and there will be an eerie silence around you most of the time. It’s also worth a look at the people around you – many people have a deep emotional response when the Sun is integrated.”
After a few minutes, the process to wholeness will be reversed and the eclipse will end.
upcoming celestial events
While the total solar eclipse is still over a year away, this isn’t the only way to view a celestial event from just outside your home. This annular solar eclipse It will cross North, Central and South America in October. NASA said on September 14 this year that such an eclipse could be seen for the last time from the continental US until 2039.
And if you’re craving some free space before fall, you just have to wait a few weeks.
AND bright green comet Known as the C/2022 E3 (ZTF), the system is poised to make its first and possibly only appearance to the human eye. The comet, believed to have traveled billions of miles in space, is expected to make its closest approach to the sun on January 12, and closest approach to Earth on February 2. comet only with binoculars and with the naked eye if they’re really lucky.
