2024 Solar Eclipse: The 13 Best Cities to See the Phenomenon
On April 8, a number of states in the US as well as parts of Canada and Mexico will experience a few minutes of darkness in the middle of the day
The 2024 solar eclipse, which will happen on April 8, will see parts of Mexico, the United States, and Canada in brief moments of dawn- or dusk-like darkness right in the middle of the day. Known as a total solar eclipse, the natural phenomenon occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the Earth and blocks the entirety of suns face. According to NASA, there wont be another total solar eclipse visible from the contiguous United States until 2044, making it all the more important to catch this one. Here, AD covers everything you need to know about the upcoming event, including the 13 best cities to experience the eclipse.
What is a total solar eclipse?
There are a number of different types of eclipses, which offer different views of either the sun or moon. As NASA explains it, A solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the sun and Earth, casting a shadow on Earth that either fully or partially blocks the suns light in some areas. A total solar eclipse means the moon will completely block the suns face, and if youre in the path of the eclipse, youll be able to see the suns corona and outer atmosphere, weather permitting. Other types of eclipses, like a partial solar eclipse, occur when the moon covers only some of the sun, resulting in a crescent shape.
How do you safely watch a total solar eclipse?
Not only are solar eclipses special because of their relative rarity, theyre unique in how theyre watched. For the few minutes when the moon is fully blocking the sunknow as totalityviewers can look directly at the sun without any eye protection. Any other time, including the hours before and after totality when youll see a partial eclipse, its important to wear protective eye gear, such as solar eclipse glasses. As soon as you see even a little bit of the bright sun reappear after totality, immediately put your eclipse glasses back on or use a handheld solar viewer to look at the sun, NASA explains.
How often do total solar eclipses happen?
Solar eclipses, of one kind or another, happen between two and five times a year. Total eclipses happen about once every 18 months. However, this doesnt mean one will be visible from your home this often. According to the Natural History Museum, London, a total solar eclipse is viewable from any one place about once every 400 years. For example, the last total solar eclipse visible from the United States happened in 2017 and followed a track from Oregon towards South Carolina. This year, the solar eclipses path will start in Texas and move northeast towards Maine. The next total solar eclipse will happen in 2026 and will be visible from the Arctic, Greenland, Iceland, and northern Spain.
How long do total solar eclipses last?
Total solar eclipses can last anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes. The difference in totality length has to do with how far apart the sun, moon, and Earth are at any given time, since the latter two bodies both orbit in elliptical paths.
When the Earth is furthest from the sunmaking the star appear smallerand the moon is closest to the Earthwhich makes the moon look bigtotality can last for over seven minutes. As Astronomy Mag reports, these circumstances will line up in about 160 years, when a solar eclipse on July 16, 2186, will see almost seven-and-a-half minutes of totality. On the other extreme, if the Earth is at its closest point to the sun and the moon is at its furthest point from Earth, humans wont see a total solar eclipse, even if all of the celestial bodies are in line. Since totality is all about the perspective of the viewer, this is also why each city will experience the 2024 eclipse differently.How do you safely watch a total solar eclipse?
Not only are solar eclipses special because of their relative rarity, theyre unique in how theyre watched. For the few minutes when the moon is fully blocking the sunknow as totalityviewers can look directly at the sun without any eye protection. Any other time, including the hours before and after totality when youll see a partial eclipse, its important to wear protective eye gear, such as solar eclipse glasses. As soon as you see even a little bit of the bright sun reappear after totality, immediately put your eclipse glasses back on or use a handheld solar viewer to look at the sun, NASA explains.
How often do total solar eclipses happen?
Solar eclipses, of one kind or another, happen between two and five times a year. Total eclipses happen about once every 18 months. However, this doesnt mean one will be visible from your home this often. According to the Natural History Museum, London, a total solar eclipse is viewable from any one place about once every 400 years. For example, the last total solar eclipse visible from the United States happened in 2017 and followed a track from Oregon towards South Carolina. This year, the solar eclipses path will start in Texas and move northeast towards Maine. The next total solar eclipse will happen in 2026 and will be visible from the Arctic, Greenland, Iceland, and northern Spain.
How long do total solar eclipses last?
Total solar eclipses can last anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes. The difference in totality length has to do with how far apart the sun, moon, and Earth are at any given time, since the latter two bodies both orbit in elliptical paths.
When the Earth is furthest from the sunmaking the star appear smallerand the moon is closest to the Earthwhich makes the moon look bigtotality can last for over seven minutes. As Astronomy Mag reports, these circumstances will line up in about 160 years, when a solar eclipse on July 16, 2186, will see almost seven-and-a-half minutes of totality. On the other extreme, if the Earth is at its closest point to the sun and the moon is at its furthest point from Earth, humans wont see a total solar eclipse, even if all of the celestial bodies are in line. Since totality is all about the perspective of the viewer, this is also why each city will experience the 2024 eclipse differently.How to read maps showing the solar eclipse path
As noted, this years path of totality is about 110 miles wide. Cities closer to the center of the path will sustain total darkness longer than those on the edges. In addition to longer totality than in 2017, this years path of totality covers more densely populated areas than the previous one. This means more people should be able to experience the total solar eclipse.
Any part of the country that is not within the path may see a partial eclipse, and the closer a location is to the strip, the smaller the crescent of visible sun will be. In these locations, it wont be safe to look directly at the eclipse without protective glasses or a viewing device. NASA has put together an interactive map, which allows viewers to see the eclipse timing in their city.
Where are the best places to see the 2024 total solar eclipse?
According to NASA, cities in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and small parts of Tennessee and Michigan will experience the total solar eclipse. Parts of Mexico and Canada will also fall within the eclipses path. Read on for the best places to see the 2024 total solar eclipse.
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