Eclipse lovers, your moment in the sun (or the dark) is just one year away.
On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will cross North America, passing over Mexico, the United States and Canada, NASA said.
It will be the nation’s biggest eclipse event since the Great American Eclipse of Aug. 21, 2017, when millions of Americans were able to enjoy the cosmic spectacle. Next year’s eclipse is the last total solar eclipse that will be visible in the U.S. until 2044.
States in the path of the eclipse are Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.
What is a total solar eclipse?
A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon gets in the way of the sun, turning day to an eerie twilight.
People viewing the eclipse from locations where the moon’s shadow completely covers the sun – known as the “path of totality” – will experience a total solar eclipse, NASA said. The sky will darken as if it were dawn or dusk. Weather permitting, people along the path of totality will see the sun’s corona, or outer atmosphere, which is usually obscured by the bright face of the sun.
Outside the path of totality nearly all of North America will get a partial solar eclipse, the American Astronomical Society said.
Preparations are underway
Some of the big cities in the path include Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, Cleveland, Buffalo and Indianapolis, where preparations already have begun. Indianapolis, which is calling itself the “eclipse capital of the Midwest,” is anticipating an influx of more than 1 million visitors next April, according to the city’s tourism bureau.
There will even be a viewing celebration at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway, home of the annual Indianapolis 500 auto race in May.
Cleveland’s visitor’s bureau also is getting in on eclipse fever, which calls the eclipse “a life-changing experience.”
“The stars are literally aligning over ‘The Land’ for a blackout you’ll never forget. On April 8, 2024, at 3:13 p.m., Cleveland will be in the path of totality for the solar eclipse.
“If you’ve never seen an eclipse, this is the only way to do it, as the moon will block out the sun for nearly four minutes – one of the longest durations of any major city in the path of totality.”
‘Four-minute solar eclipse climax’
Solar eclipse enthusiasts, such as John Robinette, a self-described “eclipse chaser” from Takoma Park, Maryland, are already looking forward to next year’s event:
“If you’ve never experienced a total solar eclipse, imagine the thrill and excitement of witnessing a shooting star,” he said. “Amazing, right? And how long does it last? Maybe half a second?
“Now, multiply that half-second feeling of a shooting star to that of a four-minute solar eclipse climax. I guarantee you’ll never forget it and you’ll do everything you can to experience it again.”
Robinette, who traveled with his family to South Carolina to watch the eclipse in 2017, is already planning on how to view the 2024 eclipse.
Get your eclipse glasses ready
NASA reminds skywatchers to practice safe viewing before and after the total eclipse: “Except during the brief total phase of a total solar eclipse, when the moon completely blocks the sun’s bright face, it is not safe to look directly at the sun without specialized eye protection for solar viewing.”
In fact, it’s never safe to view the sun with the naked eye. The sun’s surface is so bright that if you stare at any portion of it, no matter how small, it produces enough light to permanently damage your retina.
Length of time doesn’t matter either. Without proper eye protection, you can suffer “eclipse blindness” – a serious injury in which the eye’s retina is damaged by solar radiation – within seconds of staring at the sun, according to the American Optometric Association.
So a pair of approved solar eclipse glasses are a must.
Clouds could spoil the view
Past weather data indicates that “clouds are more likely to get in the way along northern portions of the eclipse’s path, while southern areas tend to have a clearer sky at the time of year coinciding with the eclipse,” FoxWeather reports.
“Cities such as Austin and San Antonio … average only 30 to 40% cloud coverage on an early-April afternoon,” FoxWeather said. “Meanwhile, the sky is typically 60 to 70% filled with clouds at the same time in places like Cleveland and Buffalo.”
Annular solar eclipse coming to the Southwest in October
Folks in the Southwest will get their own peek at a solar eclipse later this year, though it won’t be a total one. An annular eclipse of the sun will be visible in the southwestern U.S. on Oct. 14, NASA said.
An annular solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the sun and Earth while it is at its farthest point from Earth, according to NASA. “Because the moon is farther away from Earth, it appears smaller than the sun and does not completely cover the star.”
This creates a “ring of fire” effect in the sky. The name “annular” comes from the Latin word for ring, “annulus,” according to TimeandDate.com.
On Oct. 14, the annular eclipse will begin in the United States, traveling from the coast of Oregon to the Texas Gulf Coast. Weather permitting, the annular eclipse will be visible in Oregon, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico and Texas, as well as some parts of California, Idaho, Colorado, and Arizona, NASA said.