North America, US, Mexico To Witness Solar Eclipse Monday
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has announced that on Monday, April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will traverse North America, spanning across Mexico, the United States, and Canada.
A total solar eclipse, occurs when the moon moves between the sun and earth, completely obscuring the sun’s face, the sky will darken as if it were dawn or dusk.
In a statement made on Sunday, NASA emphasized the paramount importance of safety when observing a total solar eclipse. It urged the public to familiarize themselves with the necessary precautions, including wearing specialized eye protection designed for solar viewing, as detailed in safety guidelines.
NASA invited people to witness the event live as the total solar eclipse makes its journey across North America, moving from Mexico, traversing the United States from Texas to Maine, and extending across Canada’s Atlantic coast.
It’s cautioned that except for the brief total phase of the eclipse when the moon fully obstructs the sun’s bright face, direct viewing of the sun without proper eye protection is unsafe.
“When watching the partial phases of the solar eclipse directly with your eyes, which happens before and after totality, you must look through safe solar viewing glasses (‘eclipse glasses’) or a safe handheld solar viewer at all times. You can also use an indirect viewing method, such as a pinhole projector,” NASA said.
NASA highlighted that the upcoming solar eclipse will differ from the 2017 event.
In 2017, an estimated 215 million US adults, constituting 88% of US adults, observed the solar eclipse either directly or electronically, witnessing the moon passing in front of the Sun, partially or completely blocking its bright face.
Also Read: U.S. to experience total solar eclipse in 2024
NASA anticipates the 2024 eclipse to be even more captivating due to variations in its path, timing, and scientific significance.
A notable feature of the upcoming total solar eclipse, according to NASA, is the broader path of totality where viewers can witness the moon entirely blocking the sun, revealing the sun’s outer atmosphere, known as the corona. This path is significantly wider than that of the 2017 eclipse.
NASA explained that due to the moon’s varying distance from the earth as it orbits, the path of the 2017 eclipse was narrower since the moon was slightly farther away from the earth.
In contrast, during the 2024 eclipse, the moon will be closer, resulting in a wider path ranging from 108 to 122 miles across North America, covering more ground at any given moment.
Punch
