6th April 2024, 2:25 PM
(This post was last modified: 8th April 2024, 10:50 AM by David. Edited 11 times in total.)
I noticed @Different made a thread about this but I'm posting this anyway as I had it mostly complete before I saw that and there's more information here
A total solar eclipse will cross Mexico, the United States, and Canada on April 8th, 2024. Are you going to see it? Note that outside totality you need to use solar eclipse glasses, even when the Sun is 99.99% covered you still have to use them as even 0.01% or less of the Sun shining through can damage your eyes even if it's a fast glance. When totality does happen, take your glasses off to look at totality but note how long totality lasts where you are so you can put your solar eclipse glasses back on or look away before totality ends.
If you're unfamiliar, a total solar eclipse is when the Moon completely blocks out the Sun within a path called the path of totality. Totality lasts longer the closer to the center of the path of totality you are and for this one the longest time of totality will be near Torreón, Mexico as noted below (4 minutes 28 seconds). Outside this path you will only see a partial solar eclipse and if you're far enough away you won't be able to see an eclipse at all.
From https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/future...-2024/faq/ - "The longest duration of totality is 4 minutes, 28 seconds, near Torreón, Mexico. Most places along the centerline (path of totality) will see a totality duration between 3.5 and 4 minutes."
A total solar eclipse is the most beautiful type of eclipse you can see, some people even say it's life changing. If you have the chance to see this one (or any in the future) you definitely should. You can use this site to see where it's visible from, as well as check your area for the eclipse times, how long it will last, and how it will look (you can pinpoint exactly where you are): https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/solar/2024-april-8 (you can also use that site to check for other future eclipses, which includes all types of solar and lunar eclipses, as well as look at past ones)
A map of where the total solar eclipse and surrounding partial solar eclipse is visible (use site above for an interactive map so you can zoom in and see more detail):
![[Image: irtr4Ll.png]](https://i.imgur.com/irtr4Ll.png)
Credit: https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/map/2024-april-8
![[Image: eclipse_map_2024_QR_1920.png]](https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a005100/a005123/eclipse_map_2024_QR_1920.png)
Credit: https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/5123/
Note that totality is way different than 99% of the Sun being covered. I saw a total solar eclipse in 2017 and it's still bright outside at 99% coverage (one description I've seen is that it looks like a hazy day at 99%). When totality does hit there's a brilliant aura around the Moon, it's incredibly beautiful to see. The temperature instantly gets cooler when totality hits, and if you're high enough you can see the landscape in the distance go dark before totality hits your spot. During totality it's dark enough to see planets and stars in the sky, it's not night time dark but it's somewhere around twilight.
Personally I've already traveled to Texas to see this one, my family here already lives in the path of totality but we're hoping to travel to the center of the path of totality to maximize the length of totality we see. The weather isn't looking good however, but there's still a chance we'll get to see totality without it being covered by clouds (if it is covered by clouds during totality it'll still be a cool experience).
Lastly, note that it looks much better seeing it in person than what you see in photos. With that said, here are some images of the August 21st, 2017 total solar eclipse to give an idea of how it looks.
![[Image: 36676702366_716cdbeddc_o.jpg]](https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a012700/a012704/36676702366_716cdbeddc_o.jpg)
Credit: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani (image found on https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/12704/)
![[Image: IMG_3656.jpg]](https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a012700/a012704/IMG_3656.jpg)
Credit: NASA/Gopalswamy (image found on https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/12704/)
![[Image: iss052e056225.jpg]](https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a012700/a012704/iss052e056225.jpg)
Credit: NASA (image found on https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/12704/)
A total solar eclipse will cross Mexico, the United States, and Canada on April 8th, 2024. Are you going to see it? Note that outside totality you need to use solar eclipse glasses, even when the Sun is 99.99% covered you still have to use them as even 0.01% or less of the Sun shining through can damage your eyes even if it's a fast glance. When totality does happen, take your glasses off to look at totality but note how long totality lasts where you are so you can put your solar eclipse glasses back on or look away before totality ends.
If you're unfamiliar, a total solar eclipse is when the Moon completely blocks out the Sun within a path called the path of totality. Totality lasts longer the closer to the center of the path of totality you are and for this one the longest time of totality will be near Torreón, Mexico as noted below (4 minutes 28 seconds). Outside this path you will only see a partial solar eclipse and if you're far enough away you won't be able to see an eclipse at all.
From https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/future...-2024/faq/ - "The longest duration of totality is 4 minutes, 28 seconds, near Torreón, Mexico. Most places along the centerline (path of totality) will see a totality duration between 3.5 and 4 minutes."
A total solar eclipse is the most beautiful type of eclipse you can see, some people even say it's life changing. If you have the chance to see this one (or any in the future) you definitely should. You can use this site to see where it's visible from, as well as check your area for the eclipse times, how long it will last, and how it will look (you can pinpoint exactly where you are): https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/solar/2024-april-8 (you can also use that site to check for other future eclipses, which includes all types of solar and lunar eclipses, as well as look at past ones)
A map of where the total solar eclipse and surrounding partial solar eclipse is visible (use site above for an interactive map so you can zoom in and see more detail):
Credit: https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/map/2024-april-8
Credit: https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/5123/
Note that totality is way different than 99% of the Sun being covered. I saw a total solar eclipse in 2017 and it's still bright outside at 99% coverage (one description I've seen is that it looks like a hazy day at 99%). When totality does hit there's a brilliant aura around the Moon, it's incredibly beautiful to see. The temperature instantly gets cooler when totality hits, and if you're high enough you can see the landscape in the distance go dark before totality hits your spot. During totality it's dark enough to see planets and stars in the sky, it's not night time dark but it's somewhere around twilight.
Personally I've already traveled to Texas to see this one, my family here already lives in the path of totality but we're hoping to travel to the center of the path of totality to maximize the length of totality we see. The weather isn't looking good however, but there's still a chance we'll get to see totality without it being covered by clouds (if it is covered by clouds during totality it'll still be a cool experience).
Lastly, note that it looks much better seeing it in person than what you see in photos. With that said, here are some images of the August 21st, 2017 total solar eclipse to give an idea of how it looks.
Credit: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani (image found on https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/12704/)
Credit: NASA/Gopalswamy (image found on https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/12704/)
Credit: NASA (image found on https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/12704/)
![[Image: Zp4SiOJ.png]](https://i.imgur.com/Zp4SiOJ.png)
![[Image: rApGaCt.png]](https://i.imgur.com/rApGaCt.png)
![[Image: rN2bkuZ.jpg]](https://i.imgur.com/rN2bkuZ.jpg)
![[+]](/forums/images/collapse_collapsed.png "[+]")
Spoiler![[Image: MfJquqU.jpeg]](https://i.imgur.com/MfJquqU.jpeg)
![[Image: xgDdRxx.jpeg]](https://i.imgur.com/xgDdRxx.jpeg)
![[Image: XOj9whf.jpeg]](https://i.imgur.com/XOj9whf.jpeg)
![[Image: I1C17Ay.jpeg]](https://i.imgur.com/I1C17Ay.jpeg)
After Totality![[Image: PKhAnFz.jpeg]](https://i.imgur.com/PKhAnFz.jpeg)
![[Image: h5TCxEZ.jpeg]](https://i.imgur.com/h5TCxEZ.jpeg)
![[Image: zoONoXr.jpeg]](https://i.imgur.com/zoONoXr.jpeg)
![[Image: GUEST_d27f3cc4-4884-4e3b-8c1c-a7d95aa028...&fmt=pjpeg]](https://target.scene7.com/is/image/Target/GUEST_d27f3cc4-4884-4e3b-8c1c-a7d95aa02812?wid=668&qlt=80&fmt=pjpeg)
