Safely View the Total Solar Eclipse
A total solar eclipse is a significant astronomical event. One will occur on April 8, 2024. The 125-mile-wide shadow of the moon will cross the Earth at 1,600 miles per hour. The 2024 eclipse will cross many major cities from Texas to Maine. It’s the last total eclipse visible over the USA until 23 Aug. 2044. It is expected to be one of the most viewed celestial events in recorded history. Below are some key points you should know about it.
What Happens During an Eclipse
The moon moves between the Earth and the sun during a total solar eclipse and blocks the sun’s light. Daylight turns into darkness as the sun is completely obscured.
The sun’s corona, the outer atmosphere, becomes visible as a glowing halo around the darkened sun. Stars and planets may become visible in the darkened sky.
Temperatures drop as the Earth experiences a temporary cooling effect. Animals may behave as if it is night.
Why it Happens
While the sun is about 400 times larger than the moon, the moon is about 400 times closer to Earth than the sun is. Consequently, the moon fits almost perfectly over the entire surface of the sun from Earth’s viewpoint. Solar eclipses can only happen around a new moon because the moon is slightly farther away from Earth, leaving a perfect ring of sunlight. An annular eclipse happened in Texas this past October.
A total eclipse completely blocks the sun while an Annular solar eclipse only partially blocks the sun’s light because the moon’s orbit is closer to its maximum distance from Earth.
It’s essential to have safety precautions to view a solar eclipse. Looking directly at the sun without proper eye protection can cause severe eye damage or blindness. Special eclipse glasses or indirect viewing methods such as pinhole projectors should be used. However, it’s possible to look during the totality while the sun is completely covered.
Eclipse glasses should comply with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 12312-2 international safety standard and be purchased from a reputable seller.
Path of Totality
The path of totality, where the sun is completely obscured by the moon, will stretch across North America from Mexico to Canada. Major cities such as Mazatlán, Dallas, Little Rock, Indianapolis, Cleveland, Buffalo, and Montreal will experience totality. The area where light is completely blocked from the sun is called the “Umbra,” which is Latin for “shadow.” Areas where light is partially blocked are called the “Penumbra,” which is Latin for “almost, nearly.”
The entire event, from beginning to end, lasts a few hours. The period of totality will last a maximum of 4 minutes and 27 seconds over Radar Base, Texas, and 1 minute and 29 seconds over Syracuse, New York. The period of totality will otherwise range between those extremes at any given location along the eclipse’s path. The theoretical maximum to ever occur is 7 minutes and 30 seconds.
Weather Considerations
Weather conditions such as cloud cover and atmospheric conditions will play a crucial role in visibility.
Tourism and Events
Eclipses have often been associated with various cultural and religious beliefs. Because it occurs on a Monday in the spring this year, many observers will make it a long weekend.
Total solar eclipses often attract tourists and eclipse enthusiasts. Communities, organizations and businesses within the path have organized events and festivals to celebrate the occasion. Many hotels within the totality are already completely booked for the weekend.
Solar eclipses offer unique educational opportunities for students and the general public to learn about astronomy, celestial mechanics, and the sun-Earth-moon system. Consequently, some school districts have canceled school for the day to allow students to experience the eclipse and avoid traffic congestion caused by an influx of tourists.
Future Eclipses
While this eclipse is significant, it’s not a once-in-a-lifetime event. Solar eclipses occur regularly worldwide while the path of totality varies per event. The next total eclipse occurs over Greenland, Iceland and Spain on 2 Aug. 2027. The next Texas eclipse is in August 2045. The next Dallas eclipse is in 2345.
Overall
A total solar eclipse presents a remarkable celestial event for those within its path and serves as an opportunity for scientific study, cultural appreciation, and public education.
Mark M. Hancock, GRI, MRP, AHWD
REALTOR, New Build certified
214-862-7212
DFWmark.com
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