TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE APRIL 8, 2024
On Monday, April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will occur, an astronomical phenomenon in which the Moon completely obscures the Sun. This will only be visible from parts of Mexico, the United States, and Canada. The phase of totality, during which the Moon covers the Sun and turns day into night for a few minutes, can only be experienced along a narrow path about 86 miles wide.
The path of totality will cross territories in Mexico — including the states of Sinaloa, Durango, Chihuahua, and Coahuila — and extend through the United States, covering Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. Furthermore, the path of the eclipse will continue northward, reaching Canada and passing through Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and briefly touching a small part of Nova Scotia and the island of Newfoundland, offering observers in these regions an opportunity to witness the most impressive natural event one can experience.
Areas located outside the narrow path of totality will experience a partial eclipse, and the extent of the observed solar coverage will vary depending on their proximity to the path of totality. The closer a region is to this path, the larger the percentage of the Sun that will appear obscured.
A solar eclipse can last from a few seconds to just over seven minutes maximum. The 2024 eclipse will have a maximum duration of about six minutes in some places and less in others, depending on how far the observer is from the edge of the shadow.
Having explained that I present the schedules of the main cities where the total solar eclipse will be observed.
A total solar eclipse is an astronomical phenomenon and a natural spectacle that does not portend calamities for humanity. It is not a sign of bad luck, nor does it foretell diseases or wars. In fact, astronomers have calculated with years of anticipation the dates and times when an eclipse will occur, using a mathematical technique known from antiquity.
The Babylonians were one of the first people to calculate eclipses. They discovered a series of total, annular, and partial solar eclipses that repeat in an 18-year, 11-day, and 8-hour pattern, known as the Saros cycle. This means that every 18 years and 11 days, an eclipse occurs under almost identical conditions to its predecessor, though with a shift to the north or south, depending on the cycle, and westward.
Each eclipse is assigned a number within a particular Saros series, thus acting as an identifier. For example, the famous eclipse that proved the general theory of relativity was number 32 of the Saros series 136. Four cycles later, number 36 occurred on July 11, 1991, an event many of us witnessed.
The April 8, 2024, eclipse will be number 30 of the Saros series 139. To observe the displacement of the totality zone, one must examine the path of the Moon’s shadow during the total solar eclipses of Saros 28, 29, and 30, which occurred on March 18, 1988, March 29, 2006, and April 8, 2024, respectively. You will see that the totality zone has shifted further south and west.
This eclipse will repeat on April 20, 2042, Saros 139, number 31. Still, it will be visible in the Indian Ocean, Oceania, and Pacific oceans.
By the way, the Saros 139 series began on May 17, 1501, as a partial eclipse seen from the North Pole and will end on July 3, 2763, with another partial eclipse visible at the South Pole.
The Saros 139 series is not the only series of eclipses. On August 2, 2027, another total solar eclipse will be observed, visible in North Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula. This eclipse is number 38 of the Saros series 136.
But why do total solar eclipses occur? This is because the Moon, in its orbit around the Earth, passes in front of the Sun and covers it for a few minutes. Sometimes, it is so far away that it cannot completely cover the Sun and leaves an edge uncovered; this is recognized as an annular solar eclipse. In the case of a total solar eclipse, the Moon completely covers the Sun, and the Sun’s corona and chromosphere can be observed; the temperature drops, the day turns into night for a few minutes, and stars and planets are visible.
For the eclipse on April 8, 2024, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, and Mars will be visible, as will the stars Sirius, the main stars of the Orion constellation, and the star Capella in the constellation of Auriga. Those more skilled in celestial observation and with optical aid might observe the comet 12P/Pons-Brooks shining in the area near Jupiter.
You might wonder: if the Moon orbits the Earth, why don’t solar eclipses occur every month during the new Moon? The answer is relatively simple: the Moon is not perfectly aligned with the Earth’s orbital plane around the Sun but is inclined a few degrees north or south relative to the Earth. Due to its inclined orbit, sometimes the Moon does not block the Sun; other times, it only partially blocks it. The Moon’s orbit around the Earth is inclined about 5° concerning the ecliptic plane, which is the plane in which the Earth orbits around the Sun. This inclination means that the Moon usually passes above or below the Sun from our perspective on Earth, thus preventing an eclipse.
The points where the Moon’s orbit crosses the ecliptic plane are known as nodes. There are two nodes: the ascending node, where the Moon crosses the ecliptic plane moving northward, and the descending node, where it crosses moving southward. Solar eclipses can only occur when the new Moon aligns with one of these nodes, allowing the Moon’s shadow to fall on the Earth.
What are the recommendations for viewing a total solar eclipse? Suppose you are in the area where totality will occur. In that case, you should protect your eyes with eclipse-viewing glasses during the phases when the eclipse is partial. In the totality phase, which is the best part, no protective filters are necessary; the eclipse can be viewed ideally without any problem.
For those outside the area of totality, special solar eclipse glasses, generally made of aluminized Mylar paper, will be necessary to protect their eyes at all times.
Of course, atmospheric conditions are another issue. The eclipse will occur if the weather is terrible, cloudy, or rainy. Still, only the darkness of totality will be appreciated, not the spectacle of the eclipse in all its magnificence. The truth is that the total solar eclipse is the most impressive natural event a person can witness; there is nothing that compares to it.
