Solar eclipse: The sun and moon’s ‘clash’ that has got the world talking
It’s already happening. A phenomenon that occurs between one to three years around the world.
The last time a total solar eclipse occurred was in Antarctica, in 2021 for about a minute and 54 seconds, according to the National Weather Service. After this, the next was in 2017.
The cosmic event involves the Moon moving between the Earth and the Sun where all three planets are aligned. When this happens, the Moon casts a shadow which blocks some or all of the Sun’s rays from reaching the Earth.
This event is happening on April 8 2024 and although it is occurring in North America, the world is talking about it.
Here is what you need to know about the total eclipse and what the world is saying about it.
The eclipse is happening in North America from Mexico through the United States and Canada and will begin over the South Pacific Ocean. Although the full eclipse will be experienced in this part of the world, the UK will likely experience a partial eclipse where only part of the Sun will be covered by the Moon’s shadow.
The cosmic event began as a partial eclipse at 12:06 p.m. CDT in Texas and is expected to reach totality by about 1:27 p.m. CTD according to NASA.
The first area within North America to experience the total eclipse is Mexico’s Pacific coast at around 11:07 a.m. PDT.
The partial eclipse can also be seen in the western parts of the UK just before sunset from about 19:55 BST until sunset.
Scientists will take advantage of the eclipse to perform experiments, launch rockets into the sky, observe animal behaviour and study the corona.
Major cities where it will happen
San Antonio, Texas: 13:33 Central (19:33 BST)
Dallas, Texas: 13:40 Central
Carbondale, Illinois: 13:59 Central
Cleveland, Ohio: 15:13 Eastern
Buffalo, New York: 15:18 Eastern
Burlington, Vermont: 15:26 Eastern
Montreal, Quebec: 15:27 Eastern
Fredericton, New Brunswick: 16:33 Atlantic
Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador: 17:12 Newfoundland time
How long will it last?
The duration for the occurrence will vary depending on the area of viewing but eclipse viewers in Mexico will likely experience totality for the longest – about 4 minutes, 28 seconds, according to NASA.
In other places, it will last for about a minute and some seconds.
Safety and how to watch
According to NASA, except during the brief total phase of a total solar eclipse, when the Moon completely blocks the Sun’s reflection, it is unsafe to look at the Sun without specialised glasses made for solar occurrences.
What is the world saying?
While many are wishing North Americans a Happy Eclipse Day, others are sharing images of what the eclipse is expected to look like. Some others are just reacting to the news and sharing their experiences.
Here are a few reactions
