On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will pass in a narrow band across Mexico, the continental United States, and southeastern Canada. Millions of people live within a day’s drive of the narrow path of this eclipse, so it may be one of the most watched astronomical events in history. If you’re heading to the path of totality, or if you’re planning to observe the partial solar eclipse off the path of the lunar umbra, I wish you safe travels and clear skies! And if you’re not traveling, or if you’re facing clouds, or you simply want to know what’s happening with this rare celestial event, here are a few resources and readings about this eclipse and solar eclipses in general.
First, the good folks at Time and Date are offering a live stream of the event on YouTube. Bookmark this page and set a reminder if you like:
They also have local timing of the event at this link.
Of course, during totality, the sky will grow mostly dark and bright stars and planets will appear. During this eclipse, you will see four bright planets: Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars. During totality, have a quick look at the stars and planets, and especially at the purple glow of the sky itself and the sunset-colored glow of the horizon. Here’s the arrangement of stars and planets during totality on April 8:
Finally, for some solar eclipse reading, here’s a view from Annie Dillard about what it’s like to see a total solar eclipse. And here’s my ‘observing report‘ after seeing the solar eclipse in August 2017. Good luck observing this event – and stay safe!
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