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Explore the path of the 2024 Solar Eclipse across the United States. Understanding the path is crucial for planning educational activities and viewing parties.

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Safety is paramount when viewing a solar eclipse. This link provides detailed guidelines and recommendations for safe viewing practices, including appropriate solar viewing glasses.

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When watching a partial or annular solar eclipse directly with your eyes, you must look through safe solar viewing glasses ("eclipse glasses") or a safe handheld solar viewer at all times. Eclipse glasses are NOT regular sunglasses; regular sunglasses, no matter how dark, are not safe for viewing the Sun. Safe solar viewers are thousands of times darker and ought to comply with the ISO 12312-2 international standard. NASA does not approve any particular brand of solar viewers.

If you don't have eclipse glasses or a handheld solar viewer, you can use an indirect viewing method, which does not involve looking directly at the Sun. One way is to use a pinhole projector, which has a small opening (for example, a hole punched in an index card) and projects an image of the Sun onto a nearby surface. With the Sun at your back, you can then safely view the projected image. Do NOT look at the Sun through the pinhole!

View the Sun through eclipse glasses or a handheld solar viewer during the partial eclipse phases before and after totality.

You can view the eclipse directly without proper eye protection only when the Moon completely obscures the Sun's bright face - during the brief and spectacular period known as totality. (You'll know it's safe when you can no longer see any part of the Sun through eclipse glasses or a solar viewer.)

As soon as you see even a little bit of the bright Sun reappear after totality, immediately put your eclipse glasses back on or use a handheld solar viewer to look at the Sun.

Discover More Topics From NASA

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Did you know?The way to safely view the 2023 annular eclipse and the 2024 total solar eclipse in the United States will be different. Learn how to view the 2023 annular solar eclipse here and the 2024 total solar eclipse here. Eclipse Eye Safety Except during the brief total phase of a total solar eclipse, when the Moon [...]

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An interactive model to help students grasp the celestial mechanics behind solar eclipses. This visual aid can significantly enhance understanding and engagement.

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A comprehensive list of frequently asked questions (and their answers) about solar eclipses. This resource is perfect for addressing common curiosities and misconceptions.

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Solar Eclipse FAQ

Courtesy Prof. Patricia Reiff, the Rice Space Institute

1. Why does a solar eclipse only happen during new moon?

2. Why don't we have a solar eclipse every month?

3. What is the difference between a partial solar eclipse and a total solar eclipse?

4. When is the next solar eclipse?

5. Does the time of the eclipse depend on where on Earth I am?

6. What is an "annular" eclipse?

7. What would you see if you were standing on the Moon when the Earth experiences a total solar eclipse?

8. Why is a total eclipse so much more special than a partial or annular eclipse?

9. Are all total eclipses the same?

10. Are solar eclipses safe to view with the naked eye?

11. Where should I go to see a total eclipse?

DOWNLOAD FAQ AS PDF | README

1. Why does a solar eclipse only happen during new moon?

Only during full moon and new moon is the Moon in a line with the Earth and Sun. If the Earth is in the middle, the Moon is ʻfullʼ and fully lit by the sun. Only then, if the alignment is perfect, we get lunar eclipses [the Earth's shadow falling on the Moon]; if the Moon is in the middle, the Moon is ʻnewʼ (we see only the dark side) and, if the alignment is perfect, we get solar eclipses [the Moon's shadow falling on the Earth].

2. Why don't we have a solar eclipse every month?

The plane of the Moon's orbit around the Earth is not exactly the same as the plane of the Earth's orbit around the Sun, so the Moon (as seen from the Earth) generally passes over or under the Sun during times of new Moon. Only twice a year, when the orbits cross, at the "nodes", are eclipses possible, called "eclipse seasons"; even then, the Moon also has to be in the right place in its orbit to yield an eclipse. There will generally be at least one partial solar eclipse each year, but there can be more. If there is a total solar eclipse that season, then there must be at least a partial lunar eclipse two weeks earlier or two weeks later.

3. What is the difference between a partial solar eclipse and a total solar eclipse?

In a partial eclipse, the sun is only partially covered by the Moon, so the viewer is in the penumbra - the shadow of the moon that is not so deep. In that case, you don't get to see the Sun's corona (which is only visible during totality). Even in a total eclipse, there is about an hour of "partial phase" (as more and more of the Sun is being progressively covered) before the totality (which only lasts for a few seconds to a few minutes), and then another partial phase as the Moon continues its motion and uncovers the Sun again. The moon moves about 12 degrees a day through the sky, so it takes an hour to move its angular diameter (about a half-degree).

4. When is the next solar eclipse?

In the continental US we will have total solar eclipses in 2024 and 2045 ( see image at GSFC) and annular eclipses in 2023, 2046 and 2048, plus partial eclipses. However, there are total eclipses visible somewhere on Earth at least every other year. To calculate the eclipses near you, NASA created ajavascript eclipse calculator - just enter the latitude and longitude and it will give you the times and percent coverage of the Sun for any location on Earth.

5. Does the time of the eclipse depend on where on Earth I am?

Definitely! Since the Moon is relatively small and far away, only a narrow stripe across the Earth will be in the umbra, the part of the Moon's shadow with the Sun completely covered. The people near that, but outside the "path of totality", will only see a partial eclipse. The shadow travels across space very fast, at the speed of the Moon's orbit around the Earth (2288 mph, or 3683 km per hour, generally from West toe Earth), but the Earth itself is also rotating (about 1000 mph at the equator), so the effective speed across the surface is less and varies with each eclipse, but always more than 1000 mph. So it takes a few hours for the eclipse to cross the Earth's surface. For eclipses which occur near noon local time, the approach of the column of the "Moon shadow" is very dramatic! Some, however, will miss the beginning of the eclipse because it starts before their sunrise, or miss the end of the eclipse because it ends after their sunset.

6. What is an "annular" eclipse?

On average, the Moon is actually a little too small to completely cover the Sun. The Moon's angular size in the sky varies by 5.5% because its orbit around the Earth is actually an ellipse. Similarly, the Sun's angular size in the sky varies by about 1.7% because the Earth's orbit is an ellipse, also. When the Moon is closer than average, or the Sun is farther than average, we get total eclipses. When the Moon is farther than average or the Sun is closer than average, we get "annular" eclipses. In that case, even though the Moon is in perfect alignment, there is still a ring of sunlight visible - the annulus. Annular eclipses are not safe to view with the naked eye or with telescopes without special protection.

7. What would you see if you were standing on the Moon when the Earth experiences a total solar eclipse?

From the Moon, you can see the Moon's shadow crossing the Earth. This is the story of our planetarium show Earth's Wild Ride that you can watch free from our ePlanetarium website. Below is a photo from the Mir spacecraft for the 1999 eclipse.

8. Why is a total eclipse so much more special than a partial or annular eclipse?

9. Are all total eclipses the same?

No, during solar maximum the corona is brighter and is more symmetric. There may be more prominences (red loops on the edge shining in Hydrogen-alpha light). The photo below shows the coronas from two eclipses, one near solar maximum (2012) and one near solar minimum (2009) photo courtesy Ken Offit, Australia 2012. During solar minimum, the corona has more extended structures near the solar equator and coronal holes with nearly vertical magnetic field lines near the poles.

10. Are solar eclipses safe to view with the naked eye?

NO! Solar eclipses are DANGEROUS except for the lucky ones in the path of totality, and only while the eclipse is TOTAL - ONLY THEN is it safe to view with your naked eyes, binoculars, and telescopes. Never point a telescope or binoculars towards the Sun unless it has a special filter on the FRONT (sun-side), not just over the eyepiece. For partial or annular solar eclipses, you have to use special eye protection or special camera filters. You can use pinhole projection, special "eclipse glasses", or welder's glass #14. Click here FOR the NASA website on safe observing. Safe, but silly, eclipse glasses are demonstrated in photo below from 2010.

The reason why eclipses are more dangerous than just looking at the Sun on a normal day is that your blink reflex doesn't work as well when the sky is dark - the partially eclipsed Sun seems darker but each uncovered piece of it is just as bright as normal and can burn an image of the crescent sun on your retina, especially if you are looking through a telescope or binoculars! Eclipses are NOT hazardous to pregnant women, despite customs in some societies.

11. Where should I go to see a total eclipse?

If you haven't ventured to a total solar eclipse, go if you can - it is one of nature's most wonderful marvels! There are many tours that specialize in eclipses: http://www.eclipsetours.com is the one I am frequently the science advisor on. There is a website just for American eclipses at http://www.greatamericaneclipse.com/

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Courtesy Prof. Patricia Reiff, the Rice Space Institute Why does a solar eclipse only happen during new moon? Why don't we have a solar eclipse every month? What is the difference between a partial solar eclipse and a total solar eclipse? When is the next solar eclipse?

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Hands-on activities and experiments designed to teach children about solar eclipses. These activities are fun, educational, and safe to conduct in a classroom setting.

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A detailed timeline of the 2024 Solar Eclipse, including key phases and times. This information can be used to plan educational activities and viewing parties with precision.

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Epic Books -Login with Class Code kcs3779    Solar Eclipse collection 

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Epic Books -Login with Class Code kcs3779    Solar Eclipse collection 

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Built on a collection of 40,000+ popular, high-quality books from 250+ of the world's best publishers, Epic safely fuels curiosity and reading confidence for kids 12 and under.

Get Started

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online access fun thousands children great kids ebooks books

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Solar Eclipse 2024 Book Collection on Epic

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Discover new children's books on Epic. With thousands of books and audiobooks there is no limit to what children can learn and explore.

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Story Time in Space - Eclipse Demonstration

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Story Time in Space - Eclipse Demonstration

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Story Time From Space | T2 Science & Math Education Consultants

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Eclipse Demonstration with Steve Bowen

© Copyright T2 Education 2023

Astronaut Steve Bowen creates a model of the Earth, Moon, and Sun system inside the Japanese Kibo Laboratory on the International Space Station! Steve demonstrates the unique Earth and Moon orbits and highlights the unique differences between an annular and total eclipse. Each concept is enhanced with graphics and animations developed in consultation with Astrophysicist Jeffrey Bennett.

WARNING

Except during the brief total phase of a total solar eclipse (2024), 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. Eclipse glasses are NOT regular sunglasses; regular sunglasses, no matter how dark, are not safe for viewing the Sun. Safe solar viewers are thousands of times darker and must comply with the ISO 12312-2 international standard.

Always inspect your eclipse glasses or handheld viewer before use; if torn, scratched, or otherwise damaged, discard the device. Always supervise children using solar viewers.

Totality!: An Eclipse Guide in Rhyme and Science

Written by: Jeffrey Bennett

Totality! features a unique combination of rhyme and science that makes it suitable for a wide range of ages. The rhyme has been pedagogically constructed to serve as a mnemonic device for the underlying science explained with illustration and "Big Kid Box" sidebars. The book concludes with a glossary, suggested activities, and a one-page eclipse science summary - features that will add particular value for parents and teachers learning along with their students or kids.

Printed books come with two pairs of eclipse glasses (placed in an envelope inside the front cover), and instructions on their use, that will allow readers to view the eclipse safely.

Google+

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Eclipse Demonstration | Story Time From Space

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Eclipse Demonstration with Steve Bowen © Copyright T2 Education 2023 WARNING Except during the brief total phase of a total solar eclipse (2024), 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.

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Storytime from Space - Read Aloud of the book Totality by Jeffery Bennett

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Storytime from Space - Read Aloud of the book Totality by Jeffery Bennett

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Story Time From Space | T2 Science & Math Education Consultants

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Totality! Kinesthetic Astronomy Demonstration

Totality! Kinesthetic Astronomy

© Copyright T2 Education 2023

Totality!: An Eclipse Guide in Rhyme and Science

Kinesthetic Demonstration

by Jeffery Bennett

Read by Astronaut Stephen (Steve) Bowen

Totality!: An Eclipse Guide in Rhyme and Science

Written by: Jeffery Bennett

Totality! features a unique combination of rhyme and science that makes it suitable for a wide range of ages. The rhyme has been pedagogically constructed to serve as a mnemonic device for the underlying science explained with illustration and "Big Kid Box" sidebars. The book concludes with a glossary, suggested activities, and a one-page eclipse science summary - features that will add particular value for parents and teachers learning along with their students or kids.

Printed books come with two pairs of eclipse glasses (placed in an envelope inside the front cover), and instructions on their use, that will allow readers to view the eclipse safely.

Google+

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Totality! Kinesthetic Astronomy Demonstration | Story Time From Space

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Totality! Kinesthetic Astronomy Demonstration Totality! Kinesthetic Astronomy © Copyright T2 Education 2023 Totality!: An Eclipse Guide in Rhyme and Science Kinesthetic Demonstration by Jeffery Bennett Totality!: An Eclipse Guide in Rhyme and Science Written by: Jeffery Bennett Totality! features a unique combination of rhyme and science that makes it suitable for a wide range of ages.

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Total Solar Eclipse Animation | PBS LearningMedia

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Solar eclipses result from the alignment of the Sun, Moon, and Earth. Total solar eclipses — in which the Sun is completely blocked by the Moon — are a spectacular and rare sight to witness. In this animation adapted from NOVA, see why solar eclipses occur and observe a simulated total eclipse. This video is available in both English and Spanish audio, along with corresponding closed captions.

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If you have eclipse glasses, discuss safety procedures before distributing the glasses. Then line up and head outside to watch the eclipse!

If you don't have eclipse glasses, have your students follow these instructions to construct a pinhole projector.

If it's cloudy, you can watch a live stream of the eclipse, courtesy of NASA & the Exploratorium.

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Why are people making such a big deal about the solar eclipse?

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Teach about the upcoming solar eclipse! If you have questions about the eclipse, read our eclipse FAQ.

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PBS.ORG -  Why the 2024 Eclipse is Such a Big Deal

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PBS.ORG -  Why the 2024 Eclipse is Such a Big Deal

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- Hey, smart people, Joe here.

The sun is humongous, 10 times the size of anything else in the solar system.

Uh-oh.

(upbeat music) And 100 times the size of earth.

But earth is part of a lucky cosmic coincidence.

Our moon is 400 times smaller than the sun, but it's almost exactly 400 times closer to us.

This means to us here on earth, they look almost exactly the same size in the sky.

Because of this coincidence, every once in a while, our tiny little moon, even though it's 400 times smaller than the sun, crosses in front of it and blocks its light from reaching earth.

A solar eclipse.

On April 8th, that's gonna happen right here.

The shadow of the moon is gonna pass right over where I'm standing.

You are not gonna wanna miss this.

The US won't see another total solar eclipse for 20 years.

This is a once in a generation chance to see one of the most mind blowing events in the solar system.

Today, I'm gonna tell you everything that you need to know to make the most of this eclipse or any eclipse that you have the chance to see in the future.

We're talking about how to pick the right spot so you can be in the maximum shadow of the moon.

I'm gonna give you some ideas about what to bring, tell you everything there is to see before, during, and after an eclipse, and all the incredible things that you can learn from an eclipse, whether you're a scientist or just someone who wants to sit and feel the awe witnessing an incredible cosmic event.

(upbeat music) First things first.

If you need any persuading that this is worth seeing, well, just consider how special an eclipse is in the first place.

Eclipses happen because the moon's orbit takes it between us and the sun, but the moon orbits between the earth and the sun once a month, every time there's a new moon.

So why don't we get an eclipse every month?

That's because the moon's orbit is tilted a few degrees from earth's orbital plane.

Eclipses only happen when the moon's tilted orbit lines up perfectly with earth's orbital plane between us and the sun, allowing the moon to cast its shadow on our planet.

Between two and five solar eclipses fall somewhere on earth each year, but on average, any given spot on Earth only gets one total eclipse every few hundred years.

Long story short, if you have a chance to see an eclipse, you don't wanna miss it.

The first thing you gotta do is pick the right spot.

You'll want to be in the path of totality.

Totality is the moment during an eclipse when the moon's shadow completely covers the sun, and there's only a small stripe of earth where you can see that.

That's the path of totality on April 8th across this stripe of North America.

Now, outside the stripe, the moon will partially cover the sun, but you won't see totality.

And the closer you are to the center line, the longer totality will last.

There are tons of maps and apps to help you pick a location.

I've dropped links to several down in description so that you can look for a good viewing spot.

The weather though, that's all on you, I can't do anything about that.

I'm just a scientist on YouTube, folks.

Anyway, you'll wanna figure out exactly what times totality will occur at your spot so you don't have to do it on the day of the eclipse when you're freaking out from all the awesomeness.

And to get the most out of the eclipse, consider an app like this solar eclipse timer, which precisely times every key moment you should watch for at your spot.

They're not sponsoring this video or anything, but it's a cool app that really works.

I'll leave you a link down in description, but I wanna pause for a second and just acknowledge the fact that we can calculate this at all is absolutely bonkers.

Eclipses are insanely hard to predict.

Ancient people like the Babylonians, Chinese, and Maya had advanced mathematics and astronomy good enough to construct some of the most accurate calendars in human history.

But none of them can predict exactly when and where solar eclipses would occur.

And that's not surprising because this is one of the messiest problems in orbital physics.

To predict the exact positions of the earth, the sun, and the moon into the future requires factoring in every little tug from every object with gravity in the solar system.

We're not just solving for three bodies in space, it's more than a million body problem.

Together, these wobbling tilted orbits are the literal definition of mathematical chaos.

It wasn't until 1715 that anyone came even remotely close to predicting the time and place of a solar eclipse.

When astronomer Edmund Haley used giant tables full of future positions of celestial bodies to hand calculate the timing of an eclipse over London.

He was only four minutes off.

Must have forgot to carry the three.

These days NASA factors in some 38,000 different overlapping orbital patterns, crunching the data with super computers, letting us plan our eclipse viewing down to the second.

But even with all that fancy computer magic, NASA can only precisely predict eclipses for the next thousand years.

It's a problem that's impossible to solve mathematically.

We just hope to get close.

So remember that as you plan your eclipse day down to the minute or second, the fact that we can do that at all is already an amazing thing.

Look relaxed, natural?

Okay, cool.

Well, next step, once you figured out where you'll be and what time totality is, think about how you wanna see it.

This is where I have to remind you.

Never, ever, ever look directly at the sun.

I just wanna say that one more time.

Never, ever, ever look directly at the sun.

Not if you're wearing sunglasses, not if it's 99% covered.

Definitely not through a telescope or binoculars.

Just don't.

The first thing I'd recommend is getting yourself some cool eclipse glasses.

I got these from a large online retailer named after a South American river, but you can pick them up from of different places in person or online.

Just do your homework and make sure you're getting the real thing.

If you don't have eclipse glasses, though, there are still some really cool ways to see the eclipse.

This one's really simple and easy to make.

It's a pinhole camera projector.

All you have to do is poke a very small smooth hole in a piece of paper and hold it over a light surface under the sun.

Or you can go a little fancier and make yourself a little pinhole camera.

Just take a box like this, trace the bottom out on a white sheet of paper, cut it out, and put it inside the bottom of the box.

On the other end, cut two notches in the lid and cover one of those with aluminum foil.

Poke a tiny hole in there, then stand with your back to the sun, looking through the other hole, and you'll see the entire eclipse projected onto the bottom of that pinhole camera.

So why does this work?

Well, the light from the sun is always shooting out in all directions, but because this hole is so small, only a few rays of light make it through traveling in straight lines.

That means rays from the left side of the sun crossed through the hole and hit the ground on the right side and vice versa.

And what you end up with is a little flip-flopped image of the sun in front of you.

During the eclipse, when the moon moves over the sun, you'll see this circle turn into a crescent and get smaller and smaller.

So this is a safe way to watch the eclipse happen without looking at the sun.

You can see the same effect using anything with tiny holes like a colander, or even the light trickling through the leaves of trees.

You can even overlap fingers like this, leaving tiny holes in between.

Watching an eclipse is awesome even if you don't understand everything that's going on during it.

But if you know a little bit about what's happening and what to expect, there's so much to see, and most of it goes by really fast.

So the last thing you wanna plan ahead is what you're gonna look out for.

On the day of the eclipse, with your glasses on, the first thing you'll see is a tiny little nibble on the western side of the sun.

Again, the solar eclipse timer app can tell you exactly what time this is going to happen wherever you're standing.

As the minutes go by, the color of the sky and the things around you will get a little duller.

The wind may even go still as the atmosphere cools inside the growing shadow.

Around 10 minutes before totality, the sun will look like a thin crescent and everything will darken.

But don't take your eclipse glasses off yet.

You might notice some animals acting weird.

Horses have been known to start shaking their heads and tails.

Dogs might get anxious.

Birds might stop flying or burst into their evening songs.

Humans start making weird ooh and ah sounds.

And in these final seconds before totality, some really cool stuff happens.

Just before the last sliver of sunlight disappears, the valleys and ridges on the moon's surface cut into the crescent, leaving little beads of light that flicker along the edge of the sun just before the moon pinches them out.

In 1836, British astronomer, Francis Baily, first recorded this phenomenon, and today these beads of light are called Baily's Beads after him.

Right before the last of these beads disappears, you'll start to see the sun's atmosphere, the corona.

With the sun's light covered up, wisps of the corona emerge as this faint ring around the moon.

Then the last bead of light pouring past the moon lights up part of the corona, creating what's called the diamond ring.

There's one last thing till the out for as the corona becomes visible, take a look at some light surface like a sidewalk or a white sheet.

If you're lucky, you might see little bands of light and dark squiggling across the surface.

These are shadow bands.

They're super faint.

They kinda look like the shadow of water rippling over sand.

They don't always happen, and the weirdest thing is no one knows for sure why they happen.

The best guess is that turbulence in the air messes with that last narrow sliver of remaining sunlight, kind of like what makes stars twinkle.

And then just like that, the sun is gone.

Welcome to totality.

Picture this, the moon's shadow falls on you and where the sun was, there's just a black disc surrounded by glowing corona.

Everything's about as bright as during a full moon.

It's the middle of the day, yet some bright stars and planets are now visible in the sky.

During totality, you can take your eclipse glasses off and look directly at the covered up sun, and there's some cool stuff that you can only ever see during these few minutes of totality.

Keep an eye out for reddish cloudy shapes surrounding the disc of the moon.

These are called prominences, hot clouds of gas billowing out of the sun along tangled magnetic field lines.

You can actually see some of these in the first photo anyone ever took of an eclipse from 1851.

The coolest thing about these prominences is that they only last for about a day.

So whatever ones you see during totality are completely unique to that moment.

If you can pull your eyes away from the eclipse for a few seconds, take a look around you.

If you can see the horizon, you'll see what looks like a 360 degree dawn.

This is the edge of the moon's shadow, visible in the distance sky, places where the sun is not totally eclipsed.

A sunrise in every direction.

The sky will begin to brighten in the west and darken in the east.

As the moon's shadow races eastward across the earth, the sun will be back soon.

Now, depending on how close you are to the center of the path of totality, you'll experience anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes of totality.

No matter where you are, it's a good idea to know exactly what time totality ends, or have a solar eclipse timer running so you can get your eclipse glasses on before sun comes back.

Suddenly you'll see a glimmer of light peeking through some valley in the moon's surface on the western edge of the sun.

The first Baily's bead on this side.

It might make another diamond ring.

Over the next few seconds, more Baily's beads will flicker in and out.

You'll have a second chance to look for those shadow bands if you missed them the first time.

Then everything happens in reverse.

Baily's beads fuse into a crescent.

The crescent grows and the sky and the surroundings brighten again.

Before you know it, the eclipse completely ends.

It's an ordinary day again, the sky is bright.

A breeze may pick back up.

Animals go back to normal, except for you, you may never be normal again after seeing that.

A total solar eclipse is a different experience for everyone.

For some of us, it's a chance to witness an incredible cosmic event and just immerse ourselves in amazement.

But for others, it's a chance to do science.

For centuries, people have studied the sun as it disappears behind the moon, and we have learned some incredible things from that.

In 1860, eclipse sketches from around the world captured a sort of tendril snaking out from the sun.

That was probably a coronal mass ejection, a blast of plasma that can cause solar storms here on earth.

And this may have been the first time one was ever recorded.

In 1868, the French physicist Jules Janssen used a spectroscope to look at the sun's corona during a solar eclipse, and he discovered the element helium 30 years before it was found on Earth.

And in 1919, an eclipse helped physicists pull off a major test of Einstein's general theory of relativity.

According to Einstein's theory, everything with mass curve's space time, so massive objects should act a little like a lens, bending the path of any light that passes by them.

And the sun has a lot of mass, so it should bend the path of starlight traveling past it.

So during the 1919 eclipse, scientists looked at stars very close to the darkened sun and compared them with the stars' normal positions in the sky and the sun's gravity bent the light just as Einstein predicted.

You know, we often think of science as this journey from darkness to light, from ignorance to knowledge.

But during a total eclipse, it's the darkness that can be illuminating.

But we won't always have total eclipses on earth.

The moon is slowly drifting farther from earth, so hundreds of millions of years from now, it'll be too small in the sky to fully cover the sun.

After that, there will never be another total eclipse.

So it's incredible that we live on this planet at a time when we can see eclipses at all.

And seeing a total eclipse is the best way I can think of to think about how lucky we are to be right here, right now in this exact moment.

Something to think about.

If you're able to, I hope that you take advantage this year, next year, or whenever you get the chance wherever you are.

Stay curious.

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Be Smart | Why the 2024 Solar Eclipse is Such a Big Deal | Season 12 | Episode 3 | PBS

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On April 8, North America is getting a total solar eclipse. Here's what you need to know.

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On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will cross North America, passing over Mexico, the United States, and Canada. A total solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, completely blocking the face of the Sun. The sky will darken as if it were dawn or dusk.

Safety is the number one priority when viewing a total solar eclipse. Be sure you're familiar with when you need to wear specialized eye protection designed for solar viewing by reviewing these safety guidelines.

2024 Total Solar Eclipse: Through the Eyes of NASA

Watch live with us as a total solar eclipse moves across North America on April 8, 2024, traveling through Mexico, across the United States from Texas to Maine, and out across Canada's Atlantic coast.

To see NASA's broadcast in Spanish, a live stream of sounding rocket launches during the eclipse, and more, click below.
Experience the Eclipse

Total Solar Eclipse Broadcast

Safety

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.

Viewing any part of the bright Sun through a camera lens, binoculars, or a telescope without a special-purpose solar filter secured over the front of the optics will instantly cause severe eye injury.

When watching the partial phases of the solar eclipse directly with your eyes, which happens before and after totality, you must look through safe solar viewing glasses ("eclipse glasses") or a safe handheld solar viewer at all times. You can also use an indirect viewing method, such as a pinhole projector.​

What to Expect

The April 8, 2024, eclipse will be a total solar eclipse. It will be the last total solar eclipse visible from the contiguous United States until 2044.

A total solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, completely blocking the face of the Sun. 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. 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.

Where & When

The April 8, 2024, total solar eclipse will begin over the South Pacific Ocean and will cross North America, passing over Mexico, United States, and Canada.

Weather permitting, the first location in continental North America that will experience totality is Mexico's Pacific coast at around 11:07 a.m. PDT.

The path of the eclipse continues from Mexico, entering the United States in Texas, and traveling through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. The eclipse will enter Canada in Southern Ontario, and continue through Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia. The eclipse will exit continental North America on the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland, Canada, at 5:16 p.m. NDT.

Contribute to NASA Science!

On April 8, 2024, participants both in and outside the eclipse path can join NASA to learn more about our Sun and Earth and the effects of a total solar eclipse.

From cell phone apps to use on April 8 to recording the sounds of the eclipse, there are opportunities for anyone to get involved with studying this celestial event.

On April 8, the Moon's shadow will sweep across the United States, as millions will view a total solar eclipse....

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On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will cross North America, passing over Mexico, the United States, and Canada. A total solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, completely blocking the face of the Sun. The sky will darken as if it were dawn or dusk.