By Carina López and Pool Contreras
MEXICO/Xinhua
Scientists, children, young people and older adults were fascinated this Monday after contemplating a total eclipse of the Sun that darkened the northwest of Mexico in broad daylight, when the Moon covered the solar disk, casting a shadow on the surface of the Earth.
On this occasion, the main character was the Sun, as the largest layer of its atmosphere, called the “corona”, could be seen as a diffuse white glow around the Moon.
The astronomical spectacle lowered the temperature several degrees and could be partially seen in different parts of the country such as Mexico City, where families stopped their daily activities to enjoy the solar eclipse, an event that will not be repeated until 2052.
In the Mexican capital, the “Luis Enrique Erro” Planetarium, of the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN, university), was one of the busiest venues to appreciate the natural phenomenon.
One of the enthusiastic attendees at the Planetarium was student Rafael Garibay who, for the first time, witnessed a solar eclipse.
«I am very excited about what is happening. We see how, little by little, the Sun is covered and this is impressive because it is a total eclipse,” Garibay told Xinhua.
The young man, 25 years old, considered that the passage of the eclipse through Mexico will increase the population’s interest in solving the mysteries of the universe.
«The whole context of what happens around us is something that fascinates me and even discovering why these things happen is excellent to know, something that everyone could benefit from and that more people can be interested in these topics. »added Garibay, in the midst of an atmosphere full of joy.
A child uses a telescope to observe the total solar eclipse at the Luis Enrique Erro Planetarium in Mexico City, capital of Mexico, on April 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Francisco Cañedo)
Like Garibay, the Peruvian physicist and astronomer, Wilder Chicana, was able to contemplate the eclipse through telescopes with special filters, provided by the IPN for this purpose.
Chicana told Xinhua that he was able to witness the solar eclipse that occurred in Mexico in 1991, a situation that marked him forever, awakening his interest in astronomy.
«It is such an impressive event that it definitely leaves some kind of mark. It is simply the fascination with some type of particular thing that one already has an interest in. “Everyone will find in this phenomenon something that will mark them in the direction in which their own interest is already telling,” he expressed.
Chicana maintained that, now, the emotion of experiencing an eclipse is stronger for him, since he already has prior knowledge that leads him to understand how they occur and what new knowledge can be acquired from this unique event.
This Monday’s solar eclipse was visible in different areas of the American continent such as Mexico, the United States and Canada.
The most visible point of the solar eclipse in Mexico took place in Mazatlán, state of Sinaloa (northwest), where the stars shone and some animals appeared confused by the change in light.
In ancient times, these phenomena caused anguish and fear among people.
Now, specialists and admirers travel thousands of kilometers to observe and study them with the aim of providing new knowledge regarding the stars and the universe.
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