Science

Total Solar Eclipse 2024: Celestial event to fall on THIS date — What to expect

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In a big celestial event, several parts of the world are set to witness a Total Solar Eclipse on April 8, 2024, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said. The total solar eclipse–where the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, completely blocks the face of the Sun, and casts a shadow on Earth— will cross North America, passing over Mexico, the US, and Canada in the second week of April. Though such celestial events are common, but the solar eclipse falling this April is very rare given its recurrence at a particular location. A celestial event with the same totality often takes between 400 to 1,000 years to reoccur at the same spot.

Total Solar Eclipse 2024: When and where

As per NASA, the total solar eclipse will cross North America, passing over Mexico, the United States, and Canada on April 8, 2024. The eclipse will begin over the South Pacific Ocean. Mexico’s Pacific coast will be the first location in continental North America to experience the solar eclipse totality at around 11:07 am PDT.

Path of the eclipse: The eclipse will continue from Mexico, then will enter the United States in Texas, and will travel through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.

Small parts of Tennessee and Michigan will also experience the total solar eclipse.

The eclipse will enter Canada in Southern Ontario, and continue through Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Cape Breton. The eclipse will exit continental North America on the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland, Canada, at 5:16 p.m. NDT.

Total Solar Eclipse 2024: What to expect

The sky will become dark, as if it were dawn or dusk. Weather permitting, people along the path of totality will see the Sun’s corona, or outer atmosphere, which is usually obscured by the bright face of the Sun. The enthusiasts and scientists would be able to see some other phenomenon of a total solar eclipse like Shadow Bands, Baily’s Beads and the Diamond Ring.

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Baily’s Beads (Photo: NASA)
Diamond Ring

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Diamond Ring (Photo: NASA)

 

It will be the last total solar eclipse visible from the US until 2044.

Total Solar Eclipse 2024: Safety measures

When the Moon completely blocks the Sun’s bright face, it is not safe to look directly at the Sun without specialized eye protection for solar viewing. Do not look at the Sun through a camera lens, telescope, binoculars, or any other optical device while wearing eclipse glasses or using a handheld solar viewer — the concentrated solar rays will burn through the filter and cause serious eye injury.

View the Sun through eclipse glasses or a handheld solar viewer during the partial eclipse phases before and after totality.

As a precautionary measure, multiple schools in the United States will remain closed as many states will plunge into darkness on April 8. According to experts, the solar eclipse may cause a greater loss of solar power generation.

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Published: 19 Mar 2024, 04:59 PM IST

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