The eclipse cannot be seen from Euskal Herria. The areas where it will be visible, larger and more densely populated than previous total solar eclipses, are preparing for an avalanche of tourists. For example, Canada’s Niagara region has declared a state of emergency.
Millions of people will be able to enjoy this total solar eclipse which will take place next Monday April 8 and which will only be visible in one part of the world. It can be seen in concrete terms Mexico, central United States and the eastern Canada. In the rest of North America and Central America, the eclipse will be partial. Unfortunately, this time it will not be visible in Euskal Herria.
The total solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, completely blocking the star’s surface. Total solar eclipses are not rare phenomena; in fact, one occurs every 18 months. However, this one from 2024 has the characteristic that it covers a larger part of the continents and that these are densely populated areas. It is estimated that some 30 million people they will be able to see it.
The astronomical phenomenon lasts between one and four and a half minutes, depending on the area. According to NASA calculations, the duration record will be held in a Mexican city: Nazas de Durango, where the eclipse will last 4 minutes and 28 seconds (12:17 local time). Second place is taken by Ontario (Canada), with a length of three and a half minutes.
The eclipse will first be visible in Mexico before moving northeast, through the Midwestern United States (Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois and Ohio) and into Canada. The film will therefore be shown after 11 a.m. in Mazatlán (Mexico); at 1:40 PM, in Dallas (Texas, USA); at 3:13 PM in Cleveland (Ohio, United States or at 3:27 PM in Montreal (Quebec). In Newfoundland it will be around 5:00 PM when the moon completely covers the sun.
NASA has published the route that the eclipse will follow in the US:
Avalanche of tourists
The total solar eclipse will darken the sky, lower the temperature and silence the birds. The show will be wonderful and in the regions where it will be visible, they have prepared a large apparatus for the large influx of people who want to enjoy it. In Nazas de Durango (Mexico), for example, they hope to double their population with the arrival of 10,000 tourists.
In Niagara fallslocated just a 90-minute drive from the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), Canada’s most populous region with 6.3 million residents, is planning a million visitors. That is why the Canadian authorities had to report the state of emergency to maintain the safety of the environment.
The eclipse will occur around school time, so in some locations authorities have decided to suspend classes that day. The Toronto District School Board (TDSB), Canada’s largest by number of students and schools, has canceled operations even though the city’s solar eclipse will be only partial.
Opportunity for science
The total solar eclipse will provide a “unique opportunity” for science, as highlighted by NASA. “Eclipses have a special power. They cause people to feel a kind of reverence for the beauty of our universe,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.
Nelson has warned to pay attention “unusual behavior” in certain animalssuch as giraffes that gallop, roosters that crow or birds that stop whistling.
For her part, Pam Melroy, NASA’s deputy administrator, has emphasized that the next solar eclipse will provide “an incredible scientific opportunity” to observe not only the sun, but also the moon and Earth “in completely different ways.”
In fact, NASA plans to launch three rockets from Virginia during the solar eclipse to study the ionosphere disturbances created when the moon eclipses the sun.
Source: EITB
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
