A total solar eclipse briefly darkens part of North America one month from Friday

The Citizen

2 years ago

Friday, March 8, marks one month from another total solar eclipse in North America.

In case you need a refresher, this is when the moon passes between Earth and the sun. The moon then casts a localized shadow onto Earth.

A solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the earth and the sun.

The map below shows where totality is expected, which will be west of here, on the afternoon of April 8, 2024.

The map below shows where there will 70% to 100% coverage of the sun during the solar eclipse on April 8, 2024.

We made a slow-moving animation below to show the multiple towns and cities that will experience totality (temporary darkness) that day.

This is a slowed-down animation, showing where totality will happen during the April 8, 2024 eclipse.

Here at home, this is how the eclipse will progress.

This shows the eclipse timeline in our area, along with the average cloud cover for April 8.

Peak eclipse happens at 3:15 p.m. This is when, in our area, roughly 82 to 89% of the sun will be obscured by the moon.

It’s important to note that, with 82% to 89% of the sun being obscured, that is still not enough to remove solar eclipse glasses.

You should not look directly at the sun, even when most of it is covered by the moon.

Based on previous experience from the 2017 eclipse, you may notice a milky appearance to the sky during peak eclipse.

I also noticed sounds of nocturnal animals coming out, which was pretty eerie during the afternoon hours.

The next solar eclipse to happen in the U.S. isn’t until 2045.