On the 8th day of the next month, the world will experience a solar eclipse, but this will not be a common one; instead, it will be a rare total solar eclipse.
According to NASA, the eclipse on April 8, 2024, will be a total solar eclipse and will be the last total solar eclipse visible from the lower 48 states until 2044.
What is totality and the path of totality?
Totality is when the moon completely blocks the sun during a total solar eclipse. The path of totality is the area where people on Earth can see the moon completely cover the sun as the moon’s shadow falls upon them.
NASA states that the sky will darken during the eclipse as if it were dawn or dusk. You may be able to see a 360-degree sunset. You may also be able to see some particularly bright stars or planets in the darkened sky. The air temperature will drop, and often an eerie silence will settle around you.
People along the path of totality will be able to see the sun’s corona, or outer atmosphere, which is usually obscured by the bright face of the sun.
According to experts, eclipse glasses are required for viewing the eclipse if you’re outside the path of totality. Inside the path, you need the glasses for the moments before and after totality when the moon is not totally blocking the sun.
