Gallaudet University
04/04/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/04/2024 12:16
The solar eclipse, explained
The solar eclipse, explained
According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, a total solar eclipse will cross North America, passing over Mexico, the United States, and Canada, on Monday, April 8. The eclipse will begin over the South Pacific Ocean. 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. Small parts of Tennessee and Michigan will also experience the total solar eclipse. The eclipse will enter Canada in Southern Ontario, and continue through Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Cape Breton. The eclipse will exit continental North America on the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland, Canada, at 5:16 p.m. NDT."
This Washington Post article shows what totality looks like.
In the Washington area, we can expect 85-90 percent totality, says Dr. Alicia Wooten, associate professor in the School of Science, Technology, Accessibility, Mathematics, and Public Health. The eclipse should be visible between 2:04 and 4:32 p.m. with the most totality - about 87 to 89 percent - at about 3:20 p.m.
BE SURE TO FOLLOW ALL ECLIPSE VIEWING SAFETY PRECAUTIONS! This NASA webpage provides good recommendations.
The next total solar eclipse will be in 2044.
Dr. Wooten and Dr. Barbara Spiecker have put together four eclipse "explainer" videos. These videos are shared here, courtesy of Atomic Hands and the Sci-Tech Discovery Center in Frisco, Texas.