Enthusiastic skywatchers eagerly await the upcoming total solar eclipse, slated to grace the skies across North America on April 8.
This astronomical spectacle promises to transform day into night, shrouding the sky in darkness. However, the full eclipse will be observable only from select locations.
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, partially or completely obstructing sunlight. When the Moon entirely covers the Sun, it casts a shadow on Earth, creating the "path of totality," a relatively narrow corridor that traverses the surface. Weather permitting, those within this path can witness the remarkable event firsthand.
Scheduled for April 8, the total solar eclipse of 2024 will traverse a 185-kilometer stretch spanning Mexico, the United States, and Canada. Regrettably, this celestial phenomenon will not be visible from India.
According to Indian Standard Time (IST), the total solar eclipse will commence at 09:12 PM on April 8, with totality commencing at 10:08 PM and concluding at 2:22 AM on April 9. The totality will begin on Mexico's Pacific coast around 11:07 AM PDT, progressing to Maine by approximately 1:30 PM PDT.
While the entire solar eclipse will unfold over approximately two and a half hours, the totality will last only four minutes. Notably, this duration of totality—four minutes and 27 seconds—is nearly double that of the Great American Eclipse of August 2017.
