Total Solar Eclipse 2024: Know the significance and the ‘Path of Totality’

After the Great American Solar Eclipse thrilled millions last year, another spectacular ‘Total Solar Eclipse’ will occur in the year 2024. Skywatchers and scientists from the world over are planning to witness a celestial experience like no other total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024.

A ‘Total Solar Eclipse 2024’ will take a grand journey across North America, beginning the ‘Path of Totality’ on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, travelling up through the United States from Texas to Maine, and ultimately reaching the Atlantic Coast of Canada.

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What is a Total Solar Eclipse?

A ‘Total Solar Eclipse’ occurs when the moon blocks the sun’s entire solar disk in the sky, which results in dimming and cooling of the atmosphere for minutes at a time since the lunar shadow travels across a particular region of Earth’s surface. The moon orbits about 239,000 miles from Earth, appear the same size in the sky as the sun, which on the other hand, is significantly larger than the moon and much farther away.

Why Total Solar Eclipse 2024 is important?

According to scientists, several total eclipses will take place from 2019 to 2021, however the April 2024 epic event will be the first to pass through the United States since the 2017 Great American Solar Eclipse. The sight of the ethereal solar corona, the 360-degree sunset to appear across the America continent are some of the reasons scientists and skywatchers are looking forward to the 2024 total solar eclipse to witness the celestial alignment.

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When and where to watch the Total Solar Eclipse 2024?

A ‘Total Solar Eclipse 2024’ will occur on Monday, April 8, passing from the southwest to the northwest in the United States. The ‘Path of Totality’ will be visible for a period of four minutes and 28 seconds. According to Fred Espenak predictions, an emeritus American astrophysicist, the epic solar eclipse will occur within the Mexican state of Durango. In Austin, Texas, the eclipse will begin at 12:17 pm CDT while the totality will start at 1:36 pm CDT. The totality of the eclipse will end at 1:38 pm CDT, while the whole eclipse will end at 2:58 pm CDT.

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