2024-03-12 02:16:50
There will be a total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. However, the spectacle cannot be observed in all places in the world. Here is all the information.
When the moon moves in front of the sun: A total solar eclipse awaits us on April 8th. Then it becomes dark for a short time in some places around the world – in some areas the phase lasts more than four minutes. Here are the details.
Where can the solar eclipse be seen?
April’s total solar eclipse will be visible in North America, Mexico and Canada. The drama will begin on the Pacific coast in Mexico. From there it continues to Texas via Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.
When the solar eclipse reaches Canada it continues to Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia. The solar eclipse then leaves the mainland.
Is the solar eclipse coming to Germany?
The show cannot be seen in Europe – including Germany. We won’t see the next total solar eclipse in this country until September 3, 2081.
However, we don’t have to wait long for a partial one. On March 29, 2025, the sun will be partially darkened. On Sylt, the largest eclipse is said to be a maximum of 25 percent of the moon. Further south the coverage becomes less.
How many people can see the show in April?
Because the solar eclipse will move across much of North America on April 8, passing through populated areas, 30 million people will be able to see a total darkening of the sun.
Solar eclipse – what is it?
A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the earth and the sun. The sun is obscured by the moon, whose shadow falls on the earth. During a total solar eclipse, the entire sun is obscured. In a partial solar eclipse, only a part.
Another 150 million people live in areas that are not in the umbra. These residents may observe a partial eclipse. NASA estimates that 99 percent of U.S. residents will be able to view a partial or total solar eclipse from their home in April.
How long does the solar eclipse last?
The entire path of the moon’s shadow on Earth will be about 16,000 kilometers long. The shadow travels less than half of this (around 6,400 kilometers) on land.
The solar eclipse lasts around 100 minutes. The place with the longest phase is Vanderpool, Texas. There it takes the moon four minutes and twenty-six seconds to pass the sun.
What makes this solar eclipse so special?
Approximately every eleven years the sun’s magnetic field reverses, resulting in increasing solar activity. During this phase there are increased solar flares and coronal mass ejections.
During the solar eclipse in April, the sun is in such an active phase. Then there is a chance that a mass ejection will be visible at the edge of the moon, where the sun’s corona can be seen.
Clumps of plasma are ejected into space at high speeds from the outer layer of the sun, which could look spectacular during the solar eclipse.
In addition, the moon will be closer to the Earth in April than during the last total solar eclipse in 2017. This means that the moon’s umbra is wider. In 2017, the path was on average 64 kilometers wide. In April the shadow will be about 185 kilometers wide.