Here’s what you need to know and where to watch it

Don’t worry if the skies turn dark on April 8th. The total solar eclipse will cross North America, Mexico, the United States, and Canada. This phenomenon will mark the only total solar eclipse visible from the United States by 2044. This complete path, called a total solar eclipse, will begin on the Pacific coast of Mexico, cross northwestern Pennsylvania and New York state, and end on the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland. ,Canada.

A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, completely obscuring the sun. Those on the path of totality will see the moon completely covering the sun and its shadow plunging the area into darkness during the day.

Weather permitting, spectators will also be able to view the “Ring of Fire.” This term is used by NASA to describe the amazing visual effect when the sun’s outer air appears as a halo of light around the moon’s silhouette against a dark sky.

Here’s what you need to know to experience this amazing event.

When is the next total solar eclipse?

A total solar eclipse will occur on April 8th.

When was the last time there was a solar eclipse?

The last time a total solar eclipse was observed on the East Coast was in 2017, making it the first in 38 years for the United States.

How often do total solar eclipses occur?

According to Baylor University, a total solar eclipse occurs every 18 months, but the path of a total solar eclipse often occurs over the ocean rather than over populated areas, limiting the area in which it can be observed. Solar eclipses occur about two to four times a year, but NASA reports that a total solar eclipse at any location on Earth only occurs about once every 100 years.

What is the path of the solar eclipse?

According to NASA, totality in North America will begin at 11:07 a.m. PDT on the Pacific coast of Mexico, and the eclipse will continue north and east, including Erie, Pennsylvania, where totality will be observed at 3:16 p.m. EDT. It is scheduled to begin in . schedule.

What happens during a solar eclipse?

A total solar eclipse has several stages to note. (Please note, more on eye safety below.)

When the moon passes between the sun and the earth, the sun takes the shape of a crescent moon. The partial solar eclipse phase lasts 70 to 80 minutes and marks the first contact, when the moon first “touches” the sun, at least visually.

Just before totality, notice bands of shadow on the sides of buildings and on the ground (long, rapidly moving dark bands separated by white spaces).

You can also observe Bailey beads, which are fleeting dots of light that appear around the moon’s edge as it continues its orbit across the sun. When they disappear, only a single bright spot remains along the edge of the moon’s shadow, resembling a giant diamond ring formed by the remainder of the sun’s atmosphere.

Once the diamond ring disappears, the total solar eclipse can be safely observed with the naked eye. During totality, notice the chromosphere (region of the sun’s atmosphere), a thin pink circle around the moon, and the corona (outside the sun’s atmosphere), a stream of white light. Depending on the observation spot, the totality may last only 1 to 2 minutes. The event can last up to 3 minutes and 41 seconds, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation.