If you’re planning to watch the eclipse — whether in person or from afar — what are you most excited about?
Today, April 8, a total solar eclipse will trace a path through North America from the west coast of Mexico to the east coast of Canada. Will you be watching?
Even if you’re not within the path of totality, if you live in North America, you might be lucky enough to witness the moon obscure some of the sun (as long as it’s not too cloudy). Here’s the eclipse’s path (which you can see in further detail in these maps):
A map of North America with the path of totality shown from the west coast of Mexico to the north coast of Canada. Shading indicates how much of the eclipse one could see in other areas.
In “A Total Solar Eclipse Is Coming. Here’s What You Need to Know,” Katrina Miller describes what to expect:
On April 8, North America will experience its second total solar eclipse in seven years. The moon will glide over the surface of our sun, casting a shadow over a swath of Earth below. Along this path, the world will turn completely dark as night.
Skywatchers in Mexico will be the first to see the eclipse on the mainland. From there, the show will slide north, entering the United States through Texas, then proceeding northeast before concluding for most people off the coast of Canada.
Why eclipses happen is for a simple reason and can be easily explained: the moon comes between us and the sun. But they are also complicated. So if you’ve forgotten all of your eclipse facts, tips and how-to’s since 2017, I'm here to gladly explain it for you.
But before I dive in further, there is one thing to know that is more important than anything else: It is never safe to look directly at the sun during an eclipse (except for the few moments when the moon has fully obscured its surface). At all other times, watch the event through protective eye equipment. What do you hope to experience? What do you wonder about?
If you have already watched, what did you think? Did anything about the event thrill, move or surprise you? What questions do you have about what you witnessed?
A related article quotes Jay M. Pasachoff, a longtime astronomy professor at Williams College who saw his first eclipse at 16 years old, and who had seen a total of 75 eclipses by the time he died in 2022. He inspired generations of students to become astronomers by dragging them to the ends of the Earth to witness these events:
“We are umbraphiles,” Dr. Pasachoff wrote in The New York Times in 2010. “Having once stood in the umbra, the Moon’s shadow, during a solar eclipse, we are driven to do so again and again, whenever the Moon moves between the Earth and the Sun.”
Why do you think eclipses fascinate us so much? If you were lucky enough to be able to stand in the moon’s shadow today, did it make you want to do so “again and again,” as it did for Dr. Pasachoff? Why or why not?
Do you see more skygazing in your future, either as a hobby or in a career as an astronomer? If so, what do you find so interesting about the cosmos? What other cosmic events would you like to see in your lifetime? (Here are some more space happenings to look forward to this year.)
What is your most memorable moment of looking up at the sky? Maybe it was a night of stargazing with your family or a day spent cloud watching with your friends. Perhaps you witnessed a phenomenon like an eclipse, a meteor shower or the northern lights. Whatever the memory, tell me all about it and what it personally means to you.
6 years ago, on August 21, 2017, I saw my first solar eclipse. Some memories have faded from that day but I still remember the anticipation buzzing in the air as my family and I were buying the special glasses and getting ready to see the eclipse flashing before our eyes. Although Florida lay outside the eclipse path, it didn’t change my excitement as a 10 year old. This year, Florida is also not in the path but I picked up some special glasses from my school library for this special occasion and I will watch the eclipse along with some friends of mine and we'll enjoy the show all together. The realization that the next solar eclipse over North America will happen in 2045 fills me with excitement for this eclipse and also serves as a reminder of the rarity of such events, making me to cherish this opportunity. I hope to see a portion of the eclipse and also watch it from afar, through social media. Knowing that the next one won't happen for years most certainly adds to the anticipation and adds to the excitement. Even though we're not always in the perfect spot to see it and whether you’re wearing the special glasses or watching online, it's a moment that brings people together from around the world. Lots of people travel to the areas where it’s a perfect spot to watch the eclipse while some others watch from social media but it's a moment that brings people together with wonders about the universe.
Even if you’re not within the path of totality, if you live in North America, you might be lucky enough to witness the moon obscure some of the sun (as long as it’s not too cloudy). Here’s the eclipse’s path (which you can see in further detail in these maps):
A map of North America with the path of totality shown from the west coast of Mexico to the north coast of Canada. Shading indicates how much of the eclipse one could see in other areas.
In “A Total Solar Eclipse Is Coming. Here’s What You Need to Know,” Katrina Miller describes what to expect:
On April 8, North America will experience its second total solar eclipse in seven years. The moon will glide over the surface of our sun, casting a shadow over a swath of Earth below. Along this path, the world will turn completely dark as night.
Skywatchers in Mexico will be the first to see the eclipse on the mainland. From there, the show will slide north, entering the United States through Texas, then proceeding northeast before concluding for most people off the coast of Canada.
Why eclipses happen is for a simple reason and can be easily explained: the moon comes between us and the sun. But they are also complicated. So if you’ve forgotten all of your eclipse facts, tips and how-to’s since 2017, I'm here to gladly explain it for you.
But before I dive in further, there is one thing to know that is more important than anything else: It is never safe to look directly at the sun during an eclipse (except for the few moments when the moon has fully obscured its surface). At all other times, watch the event through protective eye equipment. What do you hope to experience? What do you wonder about?
If you have already watched, what did you think? Did anything about the event thrill, move or surprise you? What questions do you have about what you witnessed?
A related article quotes Jay M. Pasachoff, a longtime astronomy professor at Williams College who saw his first eclipse at 16 years old, and who had seen a total of 75 eclipses by the time he died in 2022. He inspired generations of students to become astronomers by dragging them to the ends of the Earth to witness these events:
“We are umbraphiles,” Dr. Pasachoff wrote in The New York Times in 2010. “Having once stood in the umbra, the Moon’s shadow, during a solar eclipse, we are driven to do so again and again, whenever the Moon moves between the Earth and the Sun.”
Why do you think eclipses fascinate us so much? If you were lucky enough to be able to stand in the moon’s shadow today, did it make you want to do so “again and again,” as it did for Dr. Pasachoff? Why or why not?
Do you see more skygazing in your future, either as a hobby or in a career as an astronomer? If so, what do you find so interesting about the cosmos? What other cosmic events would you like to see in your lifetime? (Here are some more space happenings to look forward to this year.)
What is your most memorable moment of looking up at the sky? Maybe it was a night of stargazing with your family or a day spent cloud watching with your friends. Perhaps you witnessed a phenomenon like an eclipse, a meteor shower or the northern lights. Whatever the memory, tell me all about it and what it personally means to you.
6 years ago, on August 21, 2017, I saw my first solar eclipse. Some memories have faded from that day but I still remember the anticipation buzzing in the air as my family and I were buying the special glasses and getting ready to see the eclipse flashing before our eyes. Although Florida lay outside the eclipse path, it didn’t change my excitement as a 10 year old. This year, Florida is also not in the path but I picked up some special glasses from my school library for this special occasion and I will watch the eclipse along with some friends of mine and we'll enjoy the show all together. The realization that the next solar eclipse over North America will happen in 2045 fills me with excitement for this eclipse and also serves as a reminder of the rarity of such events, making me to cherish this opportunity. I hope to see a portion of the eclipse and also watch it from afar, through social media. Knowing that the next one won't happen for years most certainly adds to the anticipation and adds to the excitement. Even though we're not always in the perfect spot to see it and whether you’re wearing the special glasses or watching online, it's a moment that brings people together from around the world. Lots of people travel to the areas where it’s a perfect spot to watch the eclipse while some others watch from social media but it's a moment that brings people together with wonders about the universe.
