The Solar Eclipse of 2024: What it Means and What to Expect

Credits (L to R): Hinode/XRT, NASA/Aubrey Gemignani, NASA/Noah Moran

According to NASA, On April 8, 2024, the first total eclipse since August 21, 2017 will be visible in much of the US and Canada. Many of you reading this may have seen coverage of this on the news, as well as directions on how to safely view the Solar Eclipse, but why is this event so important? and what is the best way to fully experience this total solar eclipse?

What is a Solar Eclipse?

An Eclipse is the alignment of the Sun, Moon, and Earth. NASA describes two kinds of eclipses, a Lunar Eclipse, where the Earth is directly between the Sun and a Full Moon, casting a shadow on the Moon, and a Solar Eclipse, where the Moon, in its New Moon phase is directly between the Sun and Earth, casting a shadow on the Earth.

Lyle Tavernier of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory goes on to explain that For a Solar Eclipse, there are three different forms this alignment can take, Partial, Annular, and Total. A partial eclipse is where only part of the moons shadow is cast on earth, an Annular Eclipse is where the Moon's shadow mostly covers the Sun, leaving only a small "ring" of the Sun's surface around the shadow of the Moon, and a Total Eclipse is where the Moon's shadow completely covers the Sun and only leaves a ring of the Sun's outer atmosphere known as the "Corona" around it.

As shown in the pictures above, Solar Eclipses are often visible from parts of Earth's Surface. According the The National Air and Space Museum, The area where a Total Eclipse is visible is known as the Umbra, where the area where only a Partial Eclipse will be visible is known as the Penumbra.

Where Can You Watch this Eclipse?

According to NASA This total Solar Eclipse on April 8 can be watched from many parts of North America, the time of this differing based on the location. It is expected to start around 11:07 AM PDT (around 2:00 PM EST) in West Mexico and exit North America at around 5:16 PM NDT (around 3:45PM EST) From Newfoundland, Canada.

NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio

How do You Watch the Eclipse Safely?

According to the American Astronomical Association, it is important that you wear proper eye protection to avoid serious injury while watching a solar eclipse. This includes official Eclipse Glasses that "Comply with transmittance requirements of the ISO 12312-2 international standard." (not sunglasses!). You also need a different type of solar filter to watch the Eclipse through a telescope or camera as watching through one of these devices with Solar Glasses can also cause serious eye injury. If you are in an area where the Eclipse will reach totality (the Path of Totality), it is safe to take off your glasses during totality only, when the sky darkens and the Moon completely covers the Sun, this is expected to last for 3.5-5.5 minutes, but for the rest of the Eclipse it is imperative to wear eye protection to prevent injury. To learn more about Eclipse safety, review The American Astronomical Association's safety guidelines.

Why is this Eclipse Important?

According to NASA This is the last Total Solar Eclipse that can be seen from the Contiguous United States until August 23, 2044. Abbey Interrante of NASA explains that this Eclipse is also wider than the previous one in 2017, having an approximately 108-122 mile wide path over the United States and allowing about 31.6 million people to be in the Line of Totality compared to 2017's 61-72 mile wide path with 12 million viewers. That is also only for the amount of people in the Line of Totality, every US state (including some parts of Alaska and Hawaii!!) will be able to see some form of the Eclipse. She goes on to highlight that this Eclipse will also have a longer totality and will have greater solar activity than the one in 2017.

According to NASA, This greater Solar Activity is due to a change in the magnetic field of the Sun, one which occurs about every 11 years. An article from Space.com Highlights how this Solar Eclipse will occur when the Sun's activity is nearing its maximum, leading to possible phenomena like Prominences (dark pink plasma stretching from the Sun), or even (with some luck) a Coronal Mass Ejection, which, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, is an "ejection of plasma and magnetic field from the Sun's Corona".

Lyle Tavernier of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory highlights how this Eclipse will also allow scientists at NASA and other space programs to continue with research on the Sun and its affects on Earth. Specifically, Scientists will be able to study Solar Radiation and the structure of the Sun through looking at its outer atmosphere (the Corona) that is only visible during a Solar Eclipse. To Learn More about what kind of research is being done with with Eclipses, go to NASA's Website.

The 2024 Solar Eclipse creates a great opportunity for every person to view an exciting Astronomical event and learn a little bit more about our Solar System!