eclipse solar

Where will it be visible?

Eclipse path through Mexico, the United States and Canada. /NASA

The total solar eclipse will begin to be seen over the south pacific ocean. The first place in continental North America to experience totality will be the Mexican Pacific coast around 11:07 a.m. local time. The trajectory will cross the states of Sinaloa, Durango and Coahuila in Mexico.

Then you will enter USA in Texas and will pass through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.

The eclipse will enter Canada in southern Ontario and will continue through Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton. It will finally depart along the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland, Canada, at 5:16 pm from that area.

Safe eclipse viewing

You should never look directly at the Sun without specialized eye protection, except during the brief total eclipse phase when the Moon completely blocks our star.

The observation of any part of the Sun through the lens of a camera, binoculars, or telescope without using a special sun filter for that purpose (securely attached to the front of the optical device), will instantly cause serious eye injury.

To observe the phenomenon you can use eclipse glasses or glasses (not the common sun ones) or handheld solar visors certificates for it.

Stages of a total solar eclipse

The partial eclipse

There are several different phases that observers can expect to see. As the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, it does not cover the Sun completely at first. Our star is seen in the shape of a crescent.

In most places, the partial eclipse phase will last between 70 and 80 minutes. The moment when the Moon “touches” the Sun for the first time is called first contact.

Partial solar eclipse as seen from the United States Capitol Building on June 10, 2021, as observed from Arlington, Virginia. / NASA/Bill Ingalls

The shadow strips

During the phenomenon, long, dark stripes called ‘shadow’ can be seen, moving quickly and separated by whitish spaces on the sides of buildings or on the ground, just before and after totality, although they are usually very faint and difficult to photograph.

They are because Earth’s upper atmosphere contains turbulent air masses that distort light from the sharp edges of the sun’s surface, in the same way that they distort the light of stars and cause them to twinkle.

Baily’s pearls

Baily’s pearls appear as the Moon makes its final transit in front of the Sun during the total solar eclipse on Monday, August 21, 2017 over Madras, Oregon. / NASA/Aubrey Gemignani

As the Moon continues to pass in front of the Sun, several points of light shine around the edges of the Moon. Known as Baily pearls, or Baily globules, these are rays of light from the Sun that radiate through valleys along the Moon’s horizon.

Baily pearls are very short-lived and may not last long enough to be noticeable to all total solar eclipse observers.

The diamond ring

Diamond ring effect at the beginning and end of totality during a total solar eclipse on August 21, 2017. / NASA/Carla Thomas

Baily’s pearls will begin to disappear until eventually only a bright spot remains along the edge of the Moon’s shadow. This bright spot resembles the diamond of a giant ring formed by the rest of the Sun’s atmosphere. The climax is about to arrive.

The expected totality

Once the diamond ring disappears and there is no longer direct sunlight, it is the only time observers can remove their glasses or eclipse glasses and safely view it with the naked eye. The image is not usually forgotten.

Total solar eclipse on August 21, 2017 in Madras, Oregon. / NASA/Nat Gopalswamy

This moment is also called second contact. During totality, viewers may detect the chromosphere (a region of the solar atmosphere that looks like a thin pink circle around the Moon set in front) and the corona (the outer atmosphere of the Sun, seen as rays of white light).

During totality, which may last only a minute or two, the temperature will drop and an eerie silence will be felt in the darkened surroundings.

During totality, it is recommended to take a few seconds to observe the environment. You may see a 360-degree sunset, and even some bright stars or planets in the darkened sky.

The air temperature will drop and, usually, an eerie silence will be felt around. It’s also worth taking a look at the people around you: many people have a deep emotional reaction when the Sun enters totality.

Composite image with the progression of a total solar eclipse over Madras (Oregon) in 2017. / NASA/Aubrey Gemignani

In any case, stay vigilant to protect your eyes and put your eclipse glasses back on before totality ends, which may only last a minute or two in some places.

The shine reappears

As the Moon continues to pass across the face of the Sun, a glow will begin to be seen on the opposite side of where the diamond ring shone at the beginning. This is the lower atmosphere of the Sun, which will begin to peek out from behind the Moon: the signal to stop looking directly at the eclipse and view it with protection. The first flash of sunlight around the edges of the Moon is called third contact.

Diamond ring, Baily pearls and shadow stripes… again

The last stages of the eclipse mirror those at the beginning: the diamond ring, Baily’s pearls and shadow bands will be seen again before the entire Sun becomes visible. He Four Contact It is the moment when there is nothing left of our star covered by the shadow of the Moon. The eclipse is completely over.

Citizen and professional science

More than 30 million people live along the path of this 2024 total solar eclipse, and hundreds of millions more will see it partially. It will be another 20 years before so many people in North America experience anything like it again.