Total Solar Eclipse 2024: A rare celestial event is in store for skywatchers next month. A Solar Eclipse will occur in the second week of April. It will be the first Solar Eclipse of 2024, after the world witnessed the first Lunar Eclipse of 2024 on March 25. Also known as Surya Grahan, it will be a Total Solar Eclipse.
Meanwhile, a Solar Eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, blocking the face of the Sun partially or completely. Learn all about this First Total Solar Eclipse of 2024 inside.
A Total Solar Eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, completely blocking the face of the Sun. According to NASA, the path where the Moon’s shadow completely covers the Sun is known as the Path of Totality. People viewing the Eclipse from the locations of Path of Totality will experience a Total Solar Eclipse.
On Total Solar Eclipse Day, the sky will become dark, as if it were dawn or dusk. Weather permitting, people along the Path of Totality will also see the Sun’s Corona, or outer atmosphere, which is usually obscured by the bright face of the Sun.
The first Solar Eclipse of 2024 falls on April 8. The first Solar Eclipse of 2024 will not be visible in India. As per NASA, the Total Solar Eclipse will cross North America, passing over Mexico, the United States, and Canada. According to NASA, it will be the last Total Solar Eclipse visible from the contiguous United States until 2044. It will begin over the South Pacific Ocean.
A day before the Total Solar Eclipse, the Moon will be 3,60,000 kilometers away from the Earth – the closest distance between the Moon and the Earth. Hence, it will also appear bigger in the sky than usual because of the close proximity – this will create a perfect alignment for the Solar Eclipse and also create a beautiful cosmic view.
If the weather permits, the first location in continental North America that will experience Totality is Mexico’s Pacific coast at around 11:07 am PDT. After Mexico, it will continue to cover the United States in Texas, and 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.
A Solar Eclipse should not be witnessed without protective equipment. Looking directly at the Sun is not safe, and witnessing a Solar Eclipse with the naked eye can be harmful. Therefore, specialised eye protection (not the same as regular sunglasses) for solar viewing must be worn to have a view of the celestial event. However, a Total Solar Eclipse is the only type of Solar Eclipse where viewers can momentarily remove their solar viewing glasses. It can be done during the Totality, the brief period of time when the Moon is completely blocking the Sun.
