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Every year brings astronomical events that are worth looking up for — from comets to meteor showers to closely aligned planets — but on April 8, 2024, we will have the opportunity to see something that won’t be visible again, at least in the contiguous United States, until 2045.
Shannon Schmoll, director of the Abrams Planetarium at Michigan State University, explains why this eclipse is so special and offers tips to safely view this stellar event.
What is a total solar eclipse and why is it a big deal?
A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and Earth and is perfectly aligned to completely block the face of the sun. The moon passes in between the Earth and sun every lunar cycle, but its orbit is tilted slightly so it does not always block the sun. For any location on the planet, there is a chance to experience totality every 375 years!
When and where is the total solar eclipse?
The eclipse will happen April 8, 2024. Depending on your location in North America, the first place to experience totality — the moment when the moon completely blocks the sun — is Mexico’s Pacific coast at around 11:07 a.m. PDT.
The path of totality is a 125-mile-wide path that will extend from Mexico to Canada passing through parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.
How can I view the total solar eclipse safely?
Looking directly at the sun can cause permanent damage to your eyes, even when most of the sun is blocked. To safely view the total solar eclipse, you will need a pair of eclipse glasses. You can and need to take them off to see the eclipse during totality if you are in the path of totality. At any other time and any other location, you need to protect your eyes. You can also use an indirect viewer that projects an image of the sun. Looking at the sun through a pair of binoculars or a telescope without proper eclipse filters will be extremely dangerous.
Many people will be traveling to the locations within the path of totality. Other things to keep in mind if you plan on traveling to view the total solar eclipse are to bring food, water, have a full gas tank and plan for extra time on the roads due to traffic. Consider staying where you are and traveling back another day.
What will we see?
The sky will get dark, and you will see a 360-degree sunset and notice some bright stars and planets. In Michigan, it will appear as a partial solar eclipse, and the moon will cover between 90% to 99% of the sun.
