Total Solar Eclipse 2024: This year will witness the absolute beauty of a total solar eclipse that takes place every 18 months. On April 8, Monday, skygazers can observe one of the rare astronomical events with their naked eyes. The celestial event of a solar eclipse is going to traverse North America, making its trajectory over Mexico, the United States, and Canada.
The total solar eclipse occurs approximately every 18 months when the moon passes between the sun and Earth, briefly blocking the sun’s light. The challenge, however, lies in finding a suitable land location to witness this event, as more than 70% of our planet is covered by oceans. Living in a place where a solar eclipse is happening is even more unusual, sparing individuals from the need to travel long distances, possibly even to another continent, for observation.
A total solar eclipse happens when the moon completely covers the sun, casting a shadow on Earth and forming a “path of totality,” a relatively narrow band that moves across the surface. People standing inside this band can witness the total solar eclipse, provided the weather and clouds cooperate. On April 8, 2024, the eclipse band is expected to be 115 miles wide, an uncommon occurrence for a specific location on Earth.
According to NASA, “On average, about 375 years elapse between the appearance of two total eclipses from the same place. But the interval can sometimes be much longer!”
How different is a total eclipse from other solar eclipses?
It’s crucial to understand how total solar eclipses differ from other solar eclipses. In a total solar eclipse, the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, completely blocking the Sun’s face. Viewers in the center of the Moon’s shadow experience a total eclipse and can momentarily remove their eclipse glasses for the brief period when the Moon entirely blocks the Sun.
On the other hand, a partial solar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Moon, and Earth are not perfectly aligned, with only a part of the Sun appearing covered, giving it a crescent shape.