On Monday, the 8th of April, a total solar eclipse will hit millions of people in North America, with the Moon completely blocking out the Sun for more than four minutes in some places. The eclipse will be visible from Mexico through the US to Canada, and enthusiasts will gather along the “path of totality” to view the eclipse, if weather permits, reports Reuters.
It will start over the Cook Islands in the Pacific Ocean, then pass through Mexico and several US states before ending in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.
The eclipse will last up to four minutes and 28 seconds, longer than in 2017, when a total eclipse was observed in parts of the US for up to two minutes and 42 seconds.
For example, in Fredericksburg, in central Texas, the eclipse will have peaked shortly after 13:30 local time.
How the eclipse will look from where you are??#SolarEclipse #SolarEclipse2024 #Eclipse #EclipseSolar2024 #Eclipse2024 #EcuadorEstadoDeBarbarie pic.twitter.com/j9U5YgqUMm
— Fighter_4_Humanity (@Fighter_4_Human) April 8, 2024
According to NASA, a total eclipse can last from ten seconds to about 7.5 minutes.
Major cities in the path of the upcoming total solar eclipse include Mazatlán, Mexico; San Antonio, Austin and Dallas, Texas; Indianapolis, Indiana; Cleveland, Ohio; Erie, Pennsylvania; Niagara Falls in both New York and Ontario, Canada; and Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Beyond this path, a partial eclipse will be visible across North America.
This eclipse is unique because it will cover several densely populated cities and will be visible to an estimated 32 million people, NASA has said, with
an estimated five million more travelling to the US to watch the event.
Forecasts suggest that the weather is likely to be cloudy for much of the path of the total eclipse.
Experts have advised eclipse viewers to wear protective glasses to prevent eye damage, noting that without such glasses the sun can only be safely viewed for a few minutes during the eclipse.
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