Skywatchers are expecting to see one of the most significant astronomical events of 2024 today: a total solar eclipse. When the Moon is closer to Earth and passes directly between the Earth and the Sun, it blocks sunlight and creates a shadow on the surface of the Earth. This is a rare celestial event.The moon’s shadow path, known as the path of totality, will span 15 US states and be roughly 115 miles wide on Monday during the eclipse. Viewers must be somewhere along a limited path of totality in order to see it.
As the eclipse deepens, observers will also be able to witness a number of distinct features. NASA reports that the eclipse will occur in five stages.In addition, space enthusiasts can track the totality as it moves around the world with NASA’s interactive total eclipse map.
5 Stages Of Total Solar Eclipse
1. Partial eclipse: In the initial stage of the eclipse, the moon will begin to pass in front of the sun, kick-starting a partial solar eclipse. It looks like the Moon has taken a bite out of the Sun. This stage of the partial eclipse will first be seen near Pu‘uali‘i, Hawaii, at 6:27 a.m. local time (12:27 p.m. EDT, 1627 GMT).
2. Shadow bands: Shadow bands are rapidly moving, long, dark bands separated by white spaces that can be seen on the sides of buildings or the ground just before and after totality, though they can be very faint and difficult to photograph.
3. Baily’s Beads: As the Moon continues to move across the Sun, several points of light shine around the Moon’s edges. Known as Baily’s Beads, these are light rays from the Sun streaming through the valleys along the Moon’s horizon
4. Diamond Ring: Baily’s Beads will begin to disappear until eventually, only a single bright spot will remain along the edge of the Moon’s shadow. This bright spot resembles the diamond in a giant diamond ring formed by the rest of the Sun’s atmosphere.
5. Totality: Totality is when the Moon completely blocks the bright face of the Sun. This is the only stage of the eclipse that you can view with your naked eye. This stage can also reveal the chromosphere (a region of the solar atmosphere, appearing as the thin circle of pink around the Moon) and the corona (the outer solar atmosphere, appearing as streams of white light).
Total Solar Eclipse Timing:
The solar eclipse is scheduled to start at 9:12 pm IST on April 8, reach totality at 10:08 pm and conclude at 2:22 am on April 9, 2024. Totality is expected to strike the Pacific coast of Mexico first, at approximately 11:07 am PDT, and exit Maine at approximately 1:30 pm PDT.
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