A rare total solar eclipse plunged parts of North America into darkness on April 8, 2024, with the maximum duration of totality reaching six minutes and 53 seconds in Mexico‘s Pacific coast. This event marked the most notable solar eclipse in decades for many locations across the continent.
The eclipse’s path of totality – where the Moon completely obscures the Sun – stretched from Mexico, across the United States from Texas to Maine, and into Canada. Millions were within the path to experience the full affect, while a much larger population witnessed a partial eclipse.Solar eclipses occur when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, casting a shadow on our planet.There are several types, including total, annular, partial, and hybrid eclipses, each steadfast by the degree to which the Sun is covered. In a total eclipse, the Sun’s corona-normally hidden by its shining surface-becomes visible. An annular eclipse occurs when the Moon is farther from Earth, leaving a ring of sunlight around it. Partial eclipses involve only a portion of the Sun being obscured, and hybrid eclipses can shift between total and annular depending on the observer’s location.
Correspondent William E. Cordero reported from Vermont, documenting the event as it unfolded across the United States. The next total solar eclipse visible from the United States will be on August 23, 2044.