A solar eclipse is coming on April 8th, 2024, and unlike when it drifts across the Indian Ocean or somewhere equally remote, this year's event is going right across North America.

Occurring when the moon passes between the Sun and the Earth, eclipses are one of the most exciting phenomena for people who like to look up at the heavenly vault.

A total solar eclipse like this one only occurs every year or two, and there's no guarantee for it to happen in places where no people live. The total solar eclipse on April 8th will be visible across Mexico, the United States, and Canada. That's why some people are calling it "The Great North American Eclipse."

Nearly everyone in North America will be able to see the Moon cover part of the Sun. That forms a partial eclipse, where crescents of the Sun remain visible. This time, and like the 2017 eclipse that passed over North America, millions of people will be in the "path of totality." That means they will be able to see the sky turn to dusk in the middle of the day

The total solar eclipse begins in Mexico on the morning of April 8th. It will then cross into Texas in the United States. After that, it will pass Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. Parts of Tennessee and Michigan can see it too. Then the total solar eclipse will reach Canada. The town of Maberly will be the last place on land to see it.

The total eclipse, the kind that noticeably drops the light and temperature, only lasts for a couple of minutes. But it takes about three hours for the Moon to completely move over the Sun.

The Sun is about 400 times wider than the Moon. However, the Moon is about 400 times closer to the Earth. That's why they appear roughly the same size from our planet

Whatever your view, partial or total, never look directly at the Sun because it can burn parts of your eye or cause blindness. Even a short while is enough to cause permanent damage. The only time it is safe to look at a solar eclipse is when the Moon covers the Sun completely.

But Amazon sells a variety of special eclipse glasses and solar viewers that not only allow you to look directly at the Sun, but see even more of the Sun's activity behind the moon, such as coronal mass ejections.

Astronomy.com has the exact times of when the eclipse will begin at each state in the US.

SHARE This Story With Your Friends Who Want To See It Too…