One of the year’s most anticipated celestial events — a total solar eclipse — will put on a dramatic show April 8 as it crosses over Mexico, the United States and Canada.
A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between Earth and the sun, completely blocking the sun’s face and causing the golden orb to temporarily disappear from view. The phenomenon has inspired myths and folklore for millennia.
The event will be visible to millions — including 32 million people in the US alone — who live along the route the moon’s shadow will travel during the eclipse, known as the path of totality. For sky-gazers in the areas experiencing totality, the moon’s shadow will completely cover the sun. Those along the very center line of the path will see an eclipse that lasts between 3 ½ and 4 minutes, according to NASA.
The total duration for all phases of the eclipse, however, lasts for hours. Since the moon doesn’t just suddenly appear between Earth and the sun, the event begins with a partial eclipse. The moon’s shadow will slowly move across the sun’s face during the approach to totality, causing the sun to appear like a sharpening crescent. Depending on your location, the partial eclipse can last between 70 to 80 minutes, according to NASA.
The eclipse will first appear over the South Pacific Ocean and begin its journey across North America. Mexico’s Pacific coast is the first point of totality on the path, expected at 11:07 a.m. PT (2:07 p.m. ET) and the eclipse is expected to end on the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland at 5:16 p.m. local time (3:46 p.m. ET).
Source link : https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2024/02/world/solar-eclipse-2024-map-dg-scn/
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Publish date : 2024-02-04 03:00:00
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