Don’t Miss It! Only One Year Until the US is Swept by a Total Solar Eclipse

Hey! Get ready, because in just one year we’ll experience something super cool: a total solar eclipse across North America. On April 8, 2024, the moon’s shadow will cover parts of the United States, Mexico and Canada for a few minutes during mid-day. This eclipse is especially special since it’s been only six years since the last one that occured from coast to coast in 2017.

If you don’t watch the cool show that’s coming up next year, you won’t get to see it again until 20 years later. But if you want to see it then, it’ll only be visible in Montana and South Dakota.

Here are some tips on how to prepare yourself for this awesome show:

“Experience the Phenomenon of a Solar Eclipse Across 13 US States!”

Next year on April 8th (Monday), a solar eclipse will stretch across North America. It’ll start in the Pacific ocean, reach Mexico at 11:07am, move into Texas and finally cover parts of the Midwest and Northeast in the afternoon.

The eclipse will be visible in 13 states across the US, including Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri and more. Places like Dallas; Little Rock, Arkansas; Indianapolis; Cleveland and Buffalo, New York will all be able to see this phenomenon. Even Canada – Quebec and Newfoundland – will get a glimpse of it before it sets at sea in the evening.

An eclipse is an event where the moon passes in front of the sun. In some areas, you’ll be able to see a total eclipse that covers the whole sun, and this will happen within 115 miles wide path known as the path of totality. Other places might not get a total eclipse but still be able to see a part of it – here, only a part of the sun will be blocked by the moon, making it look like a crescent shape. Total eclipses occur every 18 months, but they’re usually seen in distant and unpopulated parts of the world.

“Experience the Magic of a Total Solar Eclipse!”

A solar eclipse happens when the moon passes exactly in between Earth and the sun, blocking our view of the sun’s light. Even though the moon is much smaller than the sun, it’s closer to Earth too. When their orbits line up nicely, the little moon can cover up all of the sun! People who are in specific places see a total solar eclipse where the sky goes dark during daylight because the moon casts its shadow there.

Dr. Debby Brown remembers how sudden it felt when she saw her first total eclipse in 2017 with her friend Duncan in Wyoming. She recalls that it changed from bright daylight to feeling like the middle of the night and all the animals were quiet. The next total eclipse to happen, in 2024, will last for four and a half minutes – which is almost double the length of past eclipses!

Prepare for the Perfect Eclipse Experience in Texas, Carbondale, and Beyond!

To get a perfect eclipse experience, it is important to plan ahead. This is because the weather in spring when the eclipse happens can be quite difficult to predict. That’s why some people try to go to Texas for next year’s eclipse, which may have more chances of clear skies there.

Also, if you want a different kind of experience, you should talk to Bob Baer from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale who can help you with that.

Carbondale, a place that’s on the path of both the 2017 and 2024 eclipses, is having another viewing event at the school’s stadium! It seems like it will be an amazing experience: Baer says right before totality (when the eclipse is complete), everyone gets really loud as if they were at a football game. You don’t have to stay in Carbondale either; there are other fun events being planned ON the path of that eclipse like Mexican cruises, music festivals in Texas, camping on farms in Arkansas, and visiting planetariums in New York.

Dan Schneiderman of the Rochester Museum and Science Center wants lots of people to get outside and enjoy the upcoming eclipse with their friends and family. He says it’s important to wear special glasses during parts of the eclipse when the sun is only partially covered, as looking directly at it can hurt your eyes!

Mrs. Brown and her husband are excited about joining Duncan’s eclipse trip to Austin. Mrs. Brown had experienced an eclipse before, however it flew past in a blink of eye! This time she is looking forward to enjoying it for much longer and taking the moment in more slowly.

“A Ring of Fire in the Sky –

The United States is getting a special show this year before the exciting eclipse in 2024. On October 14th, we’ll observe an annular eclipse where the sun doesn’t completely block out, but looks like a ring of fire in the sky!

This Eclipse will be visible from Oregon all the way down to Texas!

This month, there will be something really special – a hybrid eclipse! It’s part total and part annular throughout its path but it won’t be visible to most people. Instead, this April 20th eclipse will mainly appear over the Indian Ocean with Australia and Southeast Asia only seeing bits of it.

Even so, one expert named Duncan still thinks it’s worth checking out since the next total solar eclipse in the US is not going to happen until 20 years later! He has already seen 12 total eclipses himself before.

When you see a partial eclipse, it’s not as impressive because you miss all the cool stuff. This article is supported by Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group, and The AP is responsible for all its content.