On April 8th, North America will experience its second total solar eclipse in seven years. The moon glides over the surface of the sun, casting a shadow on the belt of Earth below. Along this path the world becomes dark as night.
Skywatchers in Mexico will be the first to observe a solar eclipse on the mainland. From there, the show glides north through Texas and into the United States, then heads northeast, ending for most off the coast of Canada.
The reason solar eclipses occur is simple. Because the moon comes between us and the sun. But they are also complex. If you've forgotten all the eclipse facts, tips, and how-tos from 2017, we're here to explain it to you.
But before we get into it, there's one thing you need to know above all else. That said, it's never safe to look directly at the sun during a solar eclipse (except for a few seconds when the moon completely obscures the surface). Otherwise, wear safety glasses to watch the event. Read this article to learn how to safely observe a solar eclipse.
What is a total solar eclipse?
A solar eclipse occurs when the moon is between the Earth and the sun, blocking the sun's surface from our view.
From a cosmic perspective, it is unusual for this to occur. The moon is about 400 times smaller than the sun, yet about 400 times closer to us. This means that when two celestial bodies are lined up, they appear to be the same size in the sky.
What other types of solar eclipses are there?
An annular solar eclipse occurs when the moon moves away from Earth and appears too small to completely cover the surface of the sun. Instead, the outer part of the solar disk remains uncovered and there is a “ring of fire” in the sky.
A partial solar eclipse occurs when the Earth, Moon, and Sun are not aligned. The moon only partially hides the sun. By 2025, there will be two.
A lunar eclipse can also occur when the Earth moves between the moon and the sun. This may be observed once or twice a year.
How dark will it be during a solar eclipse?
At any point along the eclipse path, the phenomenon will last about two hours or more.
The event begins with a partial solar eclipse, with the moon nipping a little bit off the edge of the sun and then consuming more and more of its surface. According to NASA, this can last between 70 and 80 minutes.
The stage of a solar eclipse when the moon completely blocks the surface of the sun is called totality. This is the only time you can see this event with the naked eye.
Overall length varies by location. In April, in some places this stage will last more than 4 minutes. Others he only for 1-2 minutes.
During totality, the sky becomes dark and the temperature drops. A faint white thread of light from the sun's outer atmosphere, or corona, suddenly becomes visible. Lucky viewers may also be able to spot a pale reddish-pink circle around the edge of the moon. It is the chromosphere, the atmospheric layer below the sun's corona. Its color is caused by the hydrogen present throughout the layer.
After totality, the sun slowly emerges from behind the moon again. Another partial solar eclipse that lasts the same amount of time as the first partial solar eclipse. The moon moves away until the sun returns to its normal brightness in the sky.
How can I safely observe a solar eclipse?
In general, avoid looking directly at the sun without using special equipment to protect your eyes. Inexpensive options for viewing the eclipse include paper solar viewers and glasses. If you are using equipment purchased for past eclipses, be sure to have it inspected. Throw away anything that shows scratches or other signs of damage.
According to NASA, it is not safe to look at the sun through optical devices while using paper glasses or viewers. To view the eclipse with a camera, binoculars or telescope, purchase special solar filters.
The only time a solar eclipse can be seen with the naked eye is at the moment of totality. Once the moon begins to expose the surface of the sun again, return to observing the event wearing protective gear to avoid injury.
What happens if you watch a solar eclipse without protection?
In general, staring directly into the sun, even for a few seconds, can cause permanent damage to your eyes. This can range from blurry or distorted vision to something more serious such as blind spots. There are no pain receptors in the retina, so no pain is felt while the pain is occurring.
The same is true during a solar eclipse. Except for a brief moment of totality when the moon hides the face of the sun. Otherwise, please use eye protection when viewing the event.
What should I do if I can't find my eclipse glasses?
If it's too late to get glasses or a viewer, there's always the do-it-yourself option of a pinhole camera to experience the eclipse indirectly. You can make them using card stock, a cardboard box, a kitchen strainer, or your fingers. These designs project images of the eclipse onto the ground or other surfaces that are safe to view.
Where is the best place to view a solar eclipse?
The total solar eclipse will hit much of Mexico, the United States, and eastern Canada. To see the most dramatic show, it's best to experience a total solar eclipse, when the moon completely obscures the sun.
Viewers near Mazatlan, a beach town on Mexico's Pacific coast, will be the first in mainland North America to experience totality. Various locations in Mexico along the path of the eclipse will experience the longest totality, with a length of 4 minutes and 29 seconds.
Cities across the United States, including Dallas, Indianapolis, and Cleveland, are most likely to be hotspots for the upcoming solar eclipse. Other notable locations include Carbondale, Illinois, which witnessed a total solar eclipse during the 2017 solar eclipse. The small town west of Austin, Texas, is predicted to have some of the best weather in the country along the eclipse's path. If the sky is clear, you can even see Niagara Falls. Canada's six provinces are on track for perfection, but the outlook for many of them is very cloudy.
When does a solar eclipse start and end?
The show begins at dawn thousands of miles southwest of Mexico's Pacific coast. At 9:51 a.m. local time, the moon begins to obscure the sun near Mazatlan. A viewer near Mazatlan will experience totality for 4 minutes and 20 seconds from 11:07 am.
The moon's shadow will then pass through Mexico and cross the Texas border at 1:10 p.m. ET. The totality event in the United States will begin at 2:27 PM Eastern Time and end at 3:33 PM Eastern Time.
Canadians will experience the solar eclipse for nearly three hours starting in the afternoon. The solar eclipse ends when the sun sets in the Atlantic Ocean beyond the Canadian border.
What time is the solar eclipse in places like New York, Texas, Illinois, Mexico, and Canada?
To find out when the eclipse will begin, reach its total peak, and end, visit the Times' interactive map. This map also shows his April 8 weather forecast along the path of the event.
Below are the times when the total solar eclipse will begin at selected locations.
How long will the solar eclipse last?
The duration of totality depends on how far a particular location on Earth is from the Moon. The location with the longest totality period is the location closest to the Moon and farthest from the Sun. The speed of the moon's shadow is slowest over the spot with the longest total period.
In April, the longest totality event will occur over Mexico's Durango state, lasting a total of 4 minutes and 29 seconds. The shortest totality time on land along the center line is on the east coast of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, with a time of about 2 minutes and 54 seconds. However, along the edges of the total solar eclipse's path, the totality becomes even shorter. Depending on your location, it may take less than a minute.
How fast does a solar eclipse move?
Although a solar eclipse may seem to occur slowly, the moon's shadow is rushing across the Earth's surface. Exact speeds vary by location. Eclipse calculators estimate the shadow will pass through Mexico at about 1,560 mph to about 1,600 mph, and be more than 3,000 mph by the time it leaves the United States. The eclipse will reach speeds of over 6,000 miles per hour over the Atlantic Ocean.
When was the last time there was a total solar eclipse in the United States?
According to the American Astronomical Society, a total solar eclipse occurs about once a year, but it can only be seen from a narrow path on Earth's surface. Many occur over water or in other hard-to-reach locations. In a particular location, totality occurs approximately once every 400 years.
But there are some places where you can get lucky. Carbondale, a college town in southern Illinois, witnessed a total solar eclipse in the United States on August 21, 2017, and another total solar eclipse is scheduled for April this year. San Antonio experienced an annular solar eclipse last October, and is on the way to a total solar eclipse this year.
Do solar eclipses occur on other planets?
Yes, any planet with a moon in our solar system can experience a solar eclipse. Mars rover in February Captured Phobosone of the red planet's moons as it passes by the sun.
However, the moons of other planets can appear smaller or larger than the sun in the sky. Only Earth has a moon just the right size and just the right distance to create the unique effect of totality.
How do things on Earth change during a solar eclipse?
As the eclipse approaches its maximum phase, the air cools, the sky darkens, shadows become sharper, and you may notice an image of a crescent moon (a small projection of the eclipse) within it. Along the path of totality, the world darkens and the moon inclines toward perfect alignment with the Earth and the sun.
Animals also react to solar eclipses. The bees stop buzzing, the birds stop chirping, and the crickets start chirping. Some pets may express confusion. Scientists discovered after the 2017 solar eclipse that even plants were affected. Plant photosynthesis rates and water losses are similarly reduced, although not as drastically as during the night.
What is the difference between experiencing a 99 percent solar eclipse and experiencing a total solar eclipse?
Patricia Leaf, a physicist at Rice University who has traveled to and counted 25 solar eclipses, says that if you're in an area where 99 percent of solar eclipses are partial, you're in luck for experiencing a total solar eclipse. Says it's worth traveling a little further to be safe.
“Ninety-nine percent is cool,” she said, but “the whole thing is just crazy.”
Even in a 99% solar eclipse, the sky will not darken and the stars and planets will not be visible. Changes in temperature, wind, and shadow are less dramatic. And the moon doesn't block enough light to witness the sun's corona.
What if we cannot reach the path to wholeness?
Viewers located away from the path of the eclipse will see the Moon partially obscuring the Sun, but the perceived impact of this effect depends on the location's distance from the centerline. It depends. (The closer you get, the more pronounced it becomes.) Still, it's quite different from experiencing a total solar eclipse.
Please note that you should always wear safety glasses when viewing a partial solar eclipse.
If you can't make it to the path of totality but still want to experience it, many organizations, including NASA and Date and Time, offer live video streams of the eclipse. The Exploratorium, a museum in San Francisco, will also offer an audio version of the eclipse and a broadcast in Spanish.
When is the next total solar eclipse?
If you're interested in traveling, the next total solar eclipse is on August 12, 2026. People in Greenland, Iceland, Portugal, and parts of Spain will experience this phenomenon.
But if you want to see the eclipse in the United States, you'll have to wait a long time. A total solar eclipse will occur in parts of Alaska in 2033, but the next one to reach the home 48 states will be August 22, 2044. That event will cross parts of Canada and end in Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota.
For those who want to wait until 2045, that year's Aug. 12 solar eclipse will begin in California, move east, and exit the country in Florida.
What did we learn from the solar eclipse?
In the 1800s, French astronomers discovered the element helium by studying the spectrum of sunlight emitted during solar eclipses. These events also enabled the first scientific observations of coronal mass ejections (violent ejections of plasma from the sun's corona) that can cause power outages and communications failures on Earth. Scientists also confirmed Einstein's theory of general relativity, which states that massive objects bend the fabric of space-time during the 1919 solar eclipse.