According to astronomical estimates, on April 8 of next year, a total solar eclipse will darken the skies in North America: in a narrow strip of Mexico, the United States and Canada, where many people will be able to appreciate it.
Let’s remember that An eclipse is a unique astronomical phenomenon that can be seen with the naked eye and occurs when the moon covers the sun, creating night in broad daylight. Then the moon is seen as a round shadow and from the sun only the outermost layer of its atmosphere, called the ‘corona’, can be seen with a magical glow around the moon.
It is estimated that the shadow cast by the phenomenon will be between 80 and 280 kilometers; and first it will be visible in the Pacific Ocean, then it will cross northern Mexico, it will travel through the eastern United States and Canada and finally it will visit the Atlantic Ocean.
The great total solar eclipse of 2024 can be seen in Mazatlán
In our country, astronomers locate the Mexican port of Mazatlán, Sinaloa, and its surroundings as the perfect place to observe the eclipse, which will last in its total phase four minutes and 25 seconds.
The event will begin at 10:51 in the morning, as a partial eclipse, when the moon covers part of the solar surface. The total phase will begin at 12:07 and end at 12:11, when the sun reaches its highest point in the sky.
After the total phase, the sun will be partially covered again, which will end at 1:32 p.m. The duration of the entire event will be two hours and 41 minutes.
Precautions for Observing This Phenomenon
If you live in Mazatlán or its surroundings and you plan to observe the eclipse, do not forget to use special glasses with a filter that blocks the harmful rays of the Sun, thus avoiding severe damage to your eyes.
How to see the total solar eclipse if you do not live in Mazatlán?
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is likely to broadcast the solar eclipse live on its YouTube channel or on its official site.
Don’t miss this fascinating astronomical phenomenon, which will completely darken a part of our country in 2024!
With information from the article ‘A great total solar eclipse will be seen in Mexico in 2024’ by Primož Kajdič of the UNAM Institute of Geophysics.