The next total solar eclipse in the United States, the first in seven years, will come this spring.
If you missed the last total solar eclipse in North America on August 21, 2017, or the annular solar eclipse on October 14, 2023, be sure to mark your calendar for the upcoming total solar eclipse.
What is a total solar eclipse?
During a total solar eclipse, the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth and completely blocks the face of the Sun. NASA
No matter what time of day, the sky darkens like dawn or dusk. Weather permitting, those on the path of totality will see the Sun's corona, the outer atmosphere, which is normally obscured by the Sun's bright face.
When is the total solar eclipse?
The next total solar eclipse is on Monday, April 8.
The duration of totality will last four minutes and 27 seconds, twice as long as the total solar eclipse observed in the United States in 2017. The Great American Eclipse.
Although the next total solar eclipse will be visible elsewhere on August 12, 2026, if you miss April 8, the next total solar eclipse visible from the United States won't be until August 23, 2044.
When will a total solar eclipse occur?
The path of totality—when the Moon completely covers the Sun, creating a total eclipse—runs from Mexico (Sinaloa to Coahuila) to the United States (Texas to Maine) to Canada (Ontario to Newfoundland).o TimeandDate.coI am.
According to NASA, the following US cities are in the path of totality:
- Dallas, Texas.
- Idabel, Oklahoma.
- Little Rock, Arkansas.
- Poplar Bluff, Missouri.
- Paducah, Kentucky.
- Evansville, Indiana.
- Cleveland, Ohio.
- Erie, Pennsylvania.
- Buffalo, New York.
- Burlington, Vermont.
- Lancaster, New Hampshire.
- Caribou, Maine.
Areas near these cities will experience a partial eclipse before and after the expected time of totality. A partial eclipse will be visible across almost all of America and a small part of Western Europe.
In Delaware:
- The partial eclipse will be first visible at 11:42 am
- The total eclipse will be first visible at 12:38 p.m
- The maximum eclipse will be visible at 2:17 PM
- The total eclipse will be visible at 3.55 pm
- The partial eclipse will be visible at 4:52 p.m
A total solar eclipse will be visible at 4:41 p.m., which means only 0.55% of the population or 43,800,000 people around the world will be able to see the eclipse in visible areas. For any part of the eclipse, 8.19% of the total population, or 652,000,000 people, will be able to tune in, according to TimeandDate.com.
Stages of total solar eclipse
Many people focus on the moment of totality when they think of a total solar eclipse, but there are actually many different stages of the event that observers can observe.
Here are the phases of a total solar eclipse NASA:
Once upon a time Partial eclipse, the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth and does not completely cover the Moon at first, resulting in the Sun appearing with a crescent shape. When the Moon first touches the Sun, it is also known as “first contact”.
Shadow bands Long, dark, fast-moving bands separated by white spaces can be seen on the ground or on the sides of buildings.
Bailey's Bells Many points of light shine around the edges of the Moon as it continues to move past the Sun. They are caused by light rays from the Sun passing through valleys on the Moon's horizon. Bailey's bells only appear for a short period of time and may not be noticed by anyone watching a total solar eclipse.
The Diamond ring The effect occurs at the beginning and end of totality during a total solar eclipse. As Bailey's bells begin to fade and the last drops of sunlight trickle through the moon's limbic valleys, the dim corona surrounding the sun is visible at the edge of the moon's shadow, and looks like a ring of sparkling diamonds on it.
completeness A diamond ring fades without direct sunlight, also known as “second contact”. At this point, eclipse watchers will be able to see the chromosphere — the part of the solar atmosphere that appears as a pink ring around the moon — and the corona, which appear as streams of white light.
As the Moon continues to pass the Sun, The brightness appears On the opposite side from where the diamond ring initially appeared. The lower atmosphere of the Sun begins to appear from behind the Moon. Your eclipse glasses should be turned on before the first flash of sunlight appears around the edges of the moon, known as “third contact.”
As the final stages of the eclipse begin, The initial process you saw will be replicated. The diamond ring appears first, followed by Bailey's bells and shadow bands as the entire sun is visible again. “Fourth conjunction” is the moment when nothing of the sun is covered by the moon's shadow and marks the end of the eclipse.
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Solar eclipse viewing protection
According to NASA, the Moon cannot completely block the Sun during an annular solar eclipse, so it is important to take proper precautions when viewing the event.
Do not look directly at the sun without eye protection designed for sunlight. Without protection, the sun's radiation can burn the retinas in your eyes, leading to permanent damage or blindness.
Eclipse glasses can be purchased in-store or online at various retailers, and you can view the eclipse indirectly Pinhole projector.
The sun will be very bright during the eclipse, so wear protective clothing, a hat, and foam over sunscreen if you plan to spend hours in direct sunlight. Prevent skin damage.
When the eclipse is total, it is only at this time that the eclipse glasses can be briefly removed and the sun can be seen directly with the eyes.
Fun Facts About Solar Eclipses
If your solar eclipse curiosity has been piqued, here's some information that will come in handy during your eclipse viewing party.
- A solar eclipse always occurs two weeks before or after a lunar eclipse, usually two eclipses in a row, but sometimes three eclipses in the same eclipse period, reports TimeandDate.com.
- April's total solar eclipse is the second eclipse of the season. The first eclipse of the season is a penumbral lunar eclipse on March 25, 2024.
- A penumbral lunar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are not perfectly aligned and the Earth blocks the Sun's light from reaching the Moon's surface directly. During an eclipse, the Earth covers all or part of the Moon with the outer part of its shadow.
- According to the Great American Eclipse, the inner black circle of the Moon is the umbra and the shadow is total – a total eclipse of the Sun. The outer shaded circle shows the amount of penumbra and partial eclipse.
- When the solar eclipse reaches totality, nocturnal wildlife mistakenly wakes up, thinking it's already nighttime, and it's time for diurnal wildlife to sleep, according to NASA.
Have a tip or story idea? Contact Krys'tal Griffin [email protected].
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