 "Annular Solar eclipse")
The Total Solar Eclipse illuminated social media with unimaginable photographs from everywhere over North America. On Monday, 8 April 2024, few parts of the US went dark as watchers from Dallas to Canada got a brief look at the sun's corona, with a dark disc framed against a sapphire backdrop. Astronomers mentioned that this uncommon celestial event will not repeat for another 20 years.
The path of the eclipse extended from Mazatlán, Mexico to Newfoundland, a region that crosses 15 US states and is home to 44 million people. Although total solar eclipses happen globally each 11 to 18 months, seeing one from the Earth’s surface is an interesting event. The last such event in the US occurred in 2017, with the next anticipated in 2045.
What is Total Solar Eclipse?
A total solar eclipse happens when the Moon moves between the Sun and Earth, blocking a large portion of the daylight. Despite the fact that the Sun is a lot bigger than the Moon, its distance from Earth causes its size to seem like the sun.
This makes an ideal arrangement during an eclipse, where the moon flawlessly covers the whole Sun, leaving just its fiery edges noticeable.
What astronauts have to say about Total Solar Eclipse 2024?
Sharing the video from ISS, NASA mentioned, “Ever seen a total solar eclipse from space? Here is our astronauts’ view from the Space Station.”
NASA scientist and veteran astronaut Terry Virts, shared his experience and stated to USA Week, “When I was in space in 2015, we saw an eclipse over the North Atlantic. It was an eclipse that very few humans saw I think, but it was a really unique experience to look down and just see this big black circle kind of moving across the planet. It was unlike anything I’ve ever seen. I joke I’m glad they told us there was an eclipse because it would have been unsettling to look down at Earth and see this black spot moving across. It was really cool.”
About the visibility of the Total Solar Eclipse 2024
As per Forbes, the solar eclipse on April 8 went on for 4 minutes and 26 seconds at the Mexico-US line in Texas. The occasion turned out to be North America's first total solar eclipse in six years, seven months and 18 days.
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A few lucky areas like Perryville, Paducah in Kentucky and Cape Girardeau in Missouri, and Carbondale, Du Quoin, Marion, Makanda, Harrisburg, and Metropolis in Illinois experienced entirety two times on August 21, 2017, and April 8, 2024.
In the meantime, this year, Matthew Dominick and Jeanette Epps were the fortunate NASA Flight Engineers who caught the black shadow of an eclipse covering the continent.
