On April 8, 2024, the shadow of the moon will move across the land of the free, blotting out the sun and darkening the times of hundreds of thousands in a complete solar eclipse.
This can be a big one, extending from Mexico’s Pacific Coast across North America, touching 15 states from Texas to Maine and pulling itself all of the approach to the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.
A solar eclipse occurs when a latest moon is positioned between the earth and the sun and casts its moody, moony shadow upon us.
A complete solar eclipse just like the one we now have next month transpires when the earth, moon, and sun are in perfect alignment, a process that takes roughly one hour.
After which my dudes, under the trail of totality, darkness will reign, stars will shine, monkeys will mate and bird song will stop for as much as 4 and a half minutes, nearly double the darkness lots of us witnessed throughout the total solar eclipse in 2017.
For extra fireworks, on the time of the massive event, each sun and moon shall be in the new pants, hellfire and heavy metal sign of Aries.
How, where and why to look at this celestial marvel? Read on to learn more.
How rare is a complete solar eclipse?
Total solar eclipses occur each one to a few years, but are typically only visible from the poles of the earth or the center of the ocean.
The 2024 total solar eclipse stands apart as it can omit a large swath of cities and densely populated areas.
An estimated 31.6 million people live in the trail of totality this yr and a further 150 million live inside 200 miles of the trail, making it easier for more people to see the perfect of the darkest.
Add to the widening dark that the trail itself will range from 108 to 122 miles wide. In contrast, the trail of the 2017 solar eclipse was 62 to 71 miles wide.
When is the subsequent solar eclipse after 2024?
The subsequent total solar eclipse will happen on August 12, 2026 and totality shall be visible to those in Greenland, Iceland, Spain, Russia, and a small slice of Portugal.
In case you miss the prospect to see the April eighth total solar eclipse you’ll need to wait/stay alive until August 23, 2044 to see one other one on US sky and soil.
Does it get dark during a complete solar eclipse?
A complete solar eclipse happens when the brand new moon passes between the sun and earth, wholly obscuring the face of the Sun. The sky will darken as if it were dawn or dusk. Briefly, yes it gets dark but not pitch black. Before and after totality, a sliver of sunlight escapes, encircling the moon in a blinding ring.
We are able to’t normally see the sun’s outermost atmosphere, or corona, since the surface of the sun, in all its infernal glory, dims the brightness of the corona, which is roughly 10 million times less dense than the sun’s surface.
But, on April eighth, day of days, the moon will block the intense light of the sun’s surface — giving us a privileged peek.
The way to view the eclipse safely
Safety first. While ‘don’t stare on the sun’ looks like obvious advice, things are barely more nuanced during an eclipse.
To avoid serious injury to the eyes, it’s obligatory to view the sun through proper eyewear like eclipse glasses, or a handheld solar viewer, throughout the partial eclipse phase before and after totality.
Spectators and supplicants should only remove eye protection throughout the transient and glorious period of totality when the moon completely shadows the face of the sun.
Where to look at the April eighth, 2024 total solar eclipse
Letchworth State Park, Western Recent York
Recent Yorkers and their neighbors are in a first-rate position to catch the eclipse in its dark exaltation. About half of Upstate Recent York will fall in the trail of totality on April eighth, because the eclipse will omit Western Recent York, the Adirondacks, the North Country, a lot of the Finger Lakes, and a part of Central Recent York.
As anyone who has ever lived Upstate can attest, clouds are commonplace and your best bet for beating them is to wish those bastards away and/or position yourself near a body of water just like the Genesee River in Letchworth State Park.
Alternatively, get yourself out on a ship to see the corona reflected on one in all Recent York’s Finger Lakes.
Texas Eclipse Festival, Burnet, Texas
In case you’re independently wealthy enough to afford a plane ticket to Austin or froggy enough for a road trip, an epic cosmic celebration awaits at Texas Eclipse Festival.
Held on a ranch in Burnet, TX inside the path of totality, the event features live music, a multiversal dome, holistic workshops in meditation and movement, keynote talks from astronauts and space explorers, psychedelic sessions, and an immersive art experience designed by the Meow Wolf collective.
Acid, art and astronauts? Can dig.
Cuyahoga National Park, Ohio
Positioned betwixt Akron and Cleveland, OH, beautiful Cuyahoga National Park is in the trail of totality.
The park offers 33,000-acre of forests with 125 miles of trails and a scenic river to explore.
Cuyahoga is one in all only two National Parks in the trail of totality (band name), the opposite being Hot Spring National Park in Arkansas. As such, crowds are expected.
To save lots of your spot and your sanity arrive early, plan to remain late and do not forget that watching the moon cover the sun in a gaping mass is a time-honored tradition amongst mortal men.
Be kind to your fellow travelers and pack loads of snacks and patience.
Mazatlán, Mexico
One in every of the primary glimpses of the eclipse in North America shall be visible to those lucky enough to be looking up from beachy Mazatlán.
Town sits on Mexico’s west (Pacific) coast, where viewers shall be blessed with greater than 4 minutes of totality, come April eighth.
Of all the situation contenders, Mazatlán is probably the most reliable weather-wise, as clouds are minimal and unobstructed views of the dark sun more likely.
Broke, out of range but still interested?
In case you can’t make it to the sting of the eclipse or the coveted path of totality, may I suggest a livestream viewing and a reading of Taurus author and national treasure Annie Dillard’s essay “Total Eclipse” — the piece captures the rapture of the sun going dark and includes such startling analogies as, “It was as if an unlimited, loping god within the sky had reached down and slapped the Earth’s face.”
Here’s to violent gods and clear skies! Enjoy.
Astrologer Reda Wigle researches and irreverently reports back on planetary configurations and their effect on each zodiac sign. Her horoscopes integrate history, poetry, popular culture, and private experience. She can also be an completed author who has profiled a wide range of artists and performers, in addition to extensively chronicled her experiences while traveling. Amongst the numerous intriguing topics she has tackled are cemetery etiquette, her love for dive bars, Cuban Airbnbs, a “girl’s guide” to strip clubs, and the “weirdest” foods available abroad.