On April 8, a total solar eclipse will occur across large areas of North America, and it is expected that 31 million people will have the opportunity to step outside and watch the corona from space.
Experts have produced maps showing the so-called “path of totality” where the moon’s shadow will cross the continent. For those watching from the back porch, they will have the unusual opportunity to remove protective glasses for up to 4.5 minutes during totality, when the sun is 100 percent hidden behind the moon.
But we are not all cartographers. If you don’t like looking at maps, Bookmark this guide. A solar eclipse calculator, like the one provided below, can help determine whether your location is in the moon’s shadow. If not, you’ll at least know how much the moon will block the sun from your vantage point. Elsewhere in the continental United States, from coast to coast, a partial solar eclipse will occur, meaning part of the sun will be exposed, said Michael Zeiler. world.
“For those who can’t see a total solar eclipse during a partial eclipse, they can still see something interesting,” he told Mashable. “One of the most interesting things they can see is the shadow cast of the leaves, because the gaps between the leaves can create these very dramatic shadows on the ground.”
How the 2024 solar eclipse will be different from the last time
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The Solar Eclipse Calculator can search for past or future solar eclipses from any specific location. They can also sometimes provide detailed information about how a solar eclipse will appear at that specific location, according to the American Astronomical Society. These results are presented as tables or maps.
U.S. Naval Observatory April 8 Solar Eclipse Calculator
As with many eclipse calculators available on the internet, U.S. Naval Observatory Tools Asks the latitude and longitude of a location to calculate local conditions for a solar eclipse. However, if you happen to not have this information in mind, the button on the right “Need a US location?” automatically enters the coordinates when selecting a city and state.
After clicking the “Get Data” button below the form, the calculator provides a table of information including the times when the eclipse begins, peaks, and ends (expressed in UTC or Universal Coordinated Time). It also gives the duration of the eclipse and the maximum percentage of the sun that is blocked when the moon passes in front of it.
Mix and match speed of light
April 8 Solar Eclipse Time and Date Calculator
this Time and date calculator Maybe more user friendly, providing the same information for a specific location. By selecting the “Local Time and Animation” link, the site provides a view of the mountain in your city, as well as an animation of what the eclipse will look like, with the various stages outlined in a table below it. All times are shown in the location’s own time zone.
Remember, you should not remove your solar eclipse protective glasses unless you are viewing the eclipse from the path of totality (where the moon completely blocks the sun). Looking directly at the sun, even a small patch of it, can cause permanent vision impairment.
When the Sun is completely obscured, people have a rare opportunity to observe the corona glowing at the edge of the Moon. The corona is the outer layer of the Sun’s atmosphere, which is typically washed away by the brighter Sun’s surface.
“For those who are in a partial eclipse and can’t see the total eclipse, they can still see something interesting.”
Generally, the moon is expected to cast its shadow first on Mexico’s Pacific coast. The Lunar Shadow Corridor will stretch from Texas to Maine, through Ontario into Canada, and off the Atlantic coast from Newfoundland. Major U.S. cities that will experience the total solar eclipse include Dallas, Indianapolis and Cleveland.
A colander projects an eclipse shape onto the sidewalk.
Image credit: Joy Ng/NASA
For everyone within the scope of a partial eclipse, Zeller recommends taking a colander or cheese grater outside and projecting the eclipse shape onto a sidewalk or a piece of white paper. NASA has other ideas for how to build a solar eclipse projector out of household items.
But if you’re not in the path of a total solar eclipse, you’re missing the best part: the corona, according to Kelly Korreck, a heliophysicist and NASA’s 2024 eclipse project manager. Overall, the event was a full-body experience, she told Mashable.
“I would definitely encourage everyone to go see the total eclipse if possible,” she said. “Even if you block out 97, 99 percent of the sunlight, it looks weird, but it’s still like an overcast sky. It’s not quite the same darkness as when the sun is completely gone.”
This story was originally published in January 2024 and has been updated.