BREAKING: US, Mexico, Others To Experience Total Solar Eclipse 

BREAKING: US, Mexico, Others To Experience Total Solar Eclipse 

On Monday, April 8, 2024, North America will witness a significant event – a total solar eclipse that will traverse over Mexico, the United States, and Canada.

This rare phenomenon occurs when the moon moves between the sun and the Earth, casting a shadow and blocking the sun’s face.

Consequently, the sky will darken, resembling either dawn or dusk.

While disclosing the information on Sunday, NASA said, “Safety is the number one priority when viewing a total solar eclipse. Be sure you’re familiar with when you need to wear specialised eye protection designed for solar viewing by reviewing these safety guidelines.”

The agency said people could watch live with them as the total solar eclipse “moves across North America on April 8, 2024, traveling through Mexico, across the United States from Texas to Maine, and out across Canada’s Atlantic coast.”

It is crucial to highlight the importance of eye safety during a solar eclipse.

It is never safe to look directly at the sun without proper eye protection, especially outside the brief total phase of the eclipse when the sun’s bright face is entirely obscured by the moon.

Viewing the sun through devices like cameras, binoculars, or telescopes without adequate solar filters can lead to severe eye damage.

“When watching the partial phases of the solar eclipse directly with your eyes, which happens before and after totality, you must look through safe solar viewing glasses (‘eclipse glasses’) or a safe handheld solar viewer at all times. You can also use an indirect viewing method, such as a pinhole projector,” NASA added.

NASA has pointed out that the upcoming 2024 eclipse will differ from the 2017 event that millions of people in the US witnessed.

The path of totality, where the complete blockage of the sun by the moon allows viewers to observe the sun’s corona, will be wider and more densely populated than the 2017 eclipse.

The range of the path during the 2024 eclipse is estimated to be between 108 and 122 miles wide over North America, offering a broader viewing area compared to the previous eclipse in 2017.

This broader and more populated path, along with differences in timing and scientific research opportunities, makes the 2024 total solar eclipse an exciting event to look forward to.

It presents a unique chance for more people to witness this celestial wonder and engage in scientific observation and study of the sun’s outer atmosphere.

The 2024 eclipse path will also pass over more cities and densely populated areas than the 2017 path did. This will make it easier for more people to see totality.

“An estimated 31.6 million people live in the path of totality this year, compared to 12 million in 2017. An additional 150 million people live within 200 miles of the path of totality,” the organisation disclosed.