{"id":57342,"date":"2024-04-07T19:52:11","date_gmt":"2024-04-07T19:52:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/0cf62edc-a185-4ada-b293-e17e4049480e"},"modified":"2024-04-07T21:09:38","modified_gmt":"2024-04-07T21:09:38","slug":"12-facts-about-the-april-8-total-solar-eclipse-that-perfectly-show-why-its-so-special","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/rss_feed\/12-facts-about-the-april-8-total-solar-eclipse-that-perfectly-show-why-its-so-special\/","title":{"rendered":"12 facts about the April 8 total solar eclipse that perfectly show why it’s so special"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By <\/p>

Published: Sunday, 07 April 2024 at 19:52 PM<\/p>

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If you’re getting ready to observe the April 8 solar eclipse and have been caught up in all the (justifiable) hype, these facts about the eclipse are a good reminder as to what makes it so special.<\/p>

Eclipse-chasers across Canada, the USA and Mexico are in for a treat this April, as a total solar eclipse<\/a> will be visible in the springtime sky.<\/p>

Many will get to see the total solar eclipse in full as the Moon passes in front of the Sun, covering the solar disc and plunging daytime into temporary darkness.<\/p>

Others outside of the path of totality will still get to see a mesmerising partial solar eclipse.<\/p>

Eclipse chasers in Surabaya , Indonesia observe a hybrid solar eclipse wearing solar eclipse glasses on 20 April 2023. Photo by Robertus Pudyanto\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>

There will be dedicated eclipse chasers with solar telescopes<\/a>, newcomers with eclipse glasses<\/a> and kids projecting the shadow of the eclipse through colanders (more on this in our guide on how to safely observe a solar eclipse<\/a>)!<\/p>

In preparation for the April 8 solar eclipse<\/a>, here are 12 facts about the event that you need to know in the run-up.<\/p>

Total eclipses are kind of a big deal<\/strong><\/h2>
\"The
The Solar corona during the 21 August 2017 total solar eclipse by Alex Conu, Castle Garden, WY, USA.<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Total solar eclipses don\u2019t happen that often: the last one visible from the US was in 2017, and another one won\u2019t be visible from the US until 2044. And even then you\u2019ll need to be in Montana or the Dakotas, whereas this one will be visible across a big swathe of Mexico, the USA and Canada.<\/p>

They\u2019re caused by a Sun-Earth-Moon alignment<\/strong><\/h2>
\"The
The Moon\u2019s tiny dimensions means a solar eclipse is only visible in certain parts of the planet.<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Solar eclipses occur when the Moon\u2019s orbit puts it directly between Earth and the Sun. Depending on the exact alignment of the three, and where you are on Earth, this can cause a partial, annular or total eclipse.<\/p>

The April 8 eclipse<\/strong><\/strong> will be visible across the USA<\/strong><\/h2>
\"Map
Map showing the path of the April 8 total solar eclipse. Credit: BBC Sky at Night Magazine \/ Paul Wootton<\/figcaption><\/figure>

A partial eclipse will be visible from pretty much any location in the United States. But the path of totality \u2013 from where a total eclipse will be visible \u2013 is a 200km (124 miles) wide stripe running northwest from Mazatlan in Mexico, through Dallas, Little Rock, Indianapolis, Akron, Buffalo and Niagara Falls in the US, before narrowly missing Montreal and moving on out over Newfoundland.<\/p>

North America doesn\u2019t get all the fun<\/strong><\/h2>
\"Diagram
Diagram showing the path of the April 8 2024 eclipse, including the path of totality. Credit: BBC Sky at Night Magazine.<\/figcaption><\/figure>

While the path of totality only traverses Mexico, the USA and Canada, a partial eclipse will be visible from Central America and from parts of western Europe, including Iceland, Ireland and parts of Spain, Portugal, the UK and Norway. Yes, the April 8 solar eclipse will be visible in the UK and Ireland<\/a>.<\/p>

31 million people live within the path of totality<\/strong><\/h2>
\"A
Solar Eclipse Viewing Party at Caltech, Monday, August 21, 2017. Photo by Walt Mancini\/MediaNews Group\/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>

By way of contrast, only 12.5 million lived within the path of the last total eclipse in 2017. But millions more are expected to travel to see the April 8 eclipse \u2013 over half the US population live within a 250-mile drive of the path of totality.<\/p>

National parks are great place to see the eclipse<\/strong><\/h2>
\"The
The April 8 solar eclipse will be visible from Thousand Islands Park in Ontario, Canada. Credit: Redtea \/ Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>

The path of totality passes over numerous national parks, including the Lyndon B Johnson National Historic Park, Hot Springs National Park, Ozark National Scenic Riverway, George Rogers Clark National Historic Park, and Canada\u2019s Thousand Islands National Park.<\/p>

The eclipse will cause several minutes of darkness<\/strong><\/h2>
\"During
During totality, a solar eclipse plunges day into darkness. Credit: Cavan Images \/ Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>

The duration of totality decreases, though, as the eclipse moves northwest. So while Nazas in Mexico will see 4m 27s of darkness, Cleveland and Indianopolis will see just 3m 50s and 3m 45s, respectively, while by the time the eclipse reaches Newfoundland, totality will be down to a mere 2m 36s.<\/p>

It will all be over quite quickly<\/strong><\/h2>

In total, the Moon\u2019s shadow will pass over the North American continent for just 1h 43m. During that time, it will traverse five time zones.<\/p>

To see another one, you\u2019ll need to get on a plane<\/strong><\/h2>
\"Plane
Plane passing beneath a partial solar eclipse, 21 June 2020 in New Delhi, India. Photo By Vipin Kumar\/Hindustan Times via Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>

While there won\u2019t be another total eclipse in the US for 20 years, there will be total eclipses in Spain in 2026, northern Africa in 2027, Australia and New Zealand in 2028, and Africa and Australia in 2030.<\/p>

Total solar eclipses are a kind of cosmic accident<\/strong><\/h2>
\"If
If the Moon is marginally closer to the Sun, an annular eclipse occurs. Credit: Jingying Zhao \/ Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>

This is perhaps our favourite of all April 8 solar eclipse facts, because it perfectly shows how the randomness of the Universe can create extraordinary (and beautiful) coincidences.<\/p>

Total eclipses only occur because the Moon just happens be the right size, and the right distance from Earth, to ‘fit’ almost exactly over the Sun when viewed from particular points on Earth\u2019s surface.<\/p>

Total solar eclipses are fairly rare in the Solar System<\/strong><\/h2>
\"A
A view of a solar eclipse on Mars. NASA’s Perseverance rover captured this image of Mars’s moon Phobos passing in front of the Sun on 20 April 2022. Credit: NASA\/JPL-Caltech\/ASU\/MSSS\/SSI<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Venus and Mercury have no moons, while Mars\u2019s two Moons are too small to eclipse the Sun fully. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, on the other hand, do have satellites of sufficient size to cause total eclipses\u00a0\u2013 but then again they\u2019re gas giants, and so have no solid surface you could stand on to see one from.<\/p>

One day, total solar eclipses will stop happening on Earth<\/strong><\/h2>

The Moon is slowly moving away from Earth, at a rate of about 38mm per year. So eventually, it will be too far away to cause total eclipses. But don’t worry, that\u2019s not expected to happen for another 600 million years or so.<\/p>

Are you observing the April 8 solar eclipse? Let us know how it went by emailing contactus@skyatnightmagazine.com<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n

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