On April 8, the Moon will cover the Sun in a Total Solar Eclipse that can be seen from various regions of North America, allowing millions of people to observe the phenomenon. The preparation for this event is a bit reminiscent of what happened in another eclipse that took place there in 2017, however, this time, things could be more exciting.
Solar Eclipses consist of the Moon passing in front of the Sun, however, they can happen in different ways and provide different views.
- In the annulus, the Moon is furthest from the Earth, that is, its apparent diameter is smaller than the Sun, meaning that it does not completely cover it and a circle of fire appears around it;
- In total, the Moon is already closer to the Earth and its apparent diameter is almost the same as the Sun, resulting in an almost perfect coverage of the star;
- In partial eclipses, the Moon covers only part of the sunlight;
- Finally, there are also hybrids, which are very rare events, where the other three types of eclipses all happen on the same day in the same place.
The phenomenon observed in 2017 and 2024 are the same, a Total Solar Eclipse, however, the differences that make this year more exciting are more related to the path it will take, the timing and scientific research.
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Differences between the 2017 and 2024 Total Solar Eclipse
Path and track where the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse occurred compared to that of 2024 (Credit: Ernest Wright/ NASA Scientific Visualization Studio)
- In 2017, the Moon was a little further away from Earth, so the range where the phenomenon can be observed in its entirety varied from 100 to 115 kilometers wide. In what happens in April, this range will vary from 170 to 200 kilometers;
- This band where it is possible to see the Total Solar Eclipse in 2024 will pass through cities and more densely populated areas, allowing 31.6 million people to see it this way, compared to 12 million in 2017;
- In the 2017 eclipse, the longest period of totality occurred near Carbondale, Illinois and lasted 2 minutes and 42 seconds. In 2024, it will be longest near Torreón, Mexico, lasting about 4 minutes and 26 seconds, but durations longer than 4 minutes will also occur up to near the Canadian border, when the eclipse will last 3 minutes and 21 seconds;
- Another difference is that the year 2024 is closer to solar maximum, where the star’s activity is greatest. Therefore, when the Moon covers the Sun, it is very likely that fire snakes will appear in the stellar corona, unlike the simpler appearance in 2017.
Scientific research in 2024
During the 2024 total eclipse, the NASA will fund various scientific research based on research carried out in 2017, which will be led by researchers from different academic institutions. Using cameras aboard high-altitude research planes, amateur radios and other instruments, scientists aim to study the Sun and its influence on Earth.
Furthermore, instruments launched in 2023 on board 3 sounding rockets, to observe the Annular Solar Eclipse, will be launched again in April 2024.
2024-02-09 22:26:00
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