Total solar eclipse: Watch live as the moon completely covers the sun – National Post Achi-News

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The total solar eclipse will occur on Monday April 8, 2024, at various times across North America. Can’t make it to one of the hot spots where thousands are expected to gather to observe the moment the moon completely hides the sun? Then watch this live stream instead. The feed will stream live from 1 pm to 4 pm ET. It will include the clearest telescope images from Torreon, Mexico or Junction, Texas, depending on the weather on the day of the event. Totality is scheduled to occur at 1:19 pm ET in Torreon and is expected in 2:34 pm ET at Junction. The image will change between close-ups and wider shots for three hours as the moon gradually passes over the sun.

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What to know about the total solar eclipse on April 8

Monday’s total solar eclipse will land along the Pacific coast of Mexico and cross into Texas and 14 other US states, before exiting over Canada. It will last almost twice as long, with an even wider audience, than the total solar eclipse that spanned the US coast to coast in 2017.

Almost everyone on the continent will get to see a partial eclipse, but the best show will be in the path of totality, where the moon will completely cover the sun for up to 4 minutes and 28 seconds. It’s a scene that usually develops in remote corners of the world but this time it goes over big cities like Dallas, Indianapolis, Cleveland, Hamilton, Niagara Falls and Kingston. An estimated 44 million people live within the entire path, with another couple of hundred million within 320 kilometers, guaranteeing the continent’s biggest eclipse crowd ever.

Here’s more to know about Monday’s heavenly showstopper.

What is a total solar eclipse?

The moon will line up perfectly between the Earth and the sun at midday, eliminating sunlight. The total eclipse will last longer than usual because the moon will be only 360,000 kilometers from Earth, one of the closest approaches of the year. The closer the moon is to Earth, the larger it is in the sky from our perspective, resulting in a particularly long and intense period of darkness blocked by the sun. A total that will last the longest over Mexico at 4 minutes, 28 seconds. Elsewhere along the track, such as in Syracuse, New York, totality will only last 1 1/2 minutes.

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What is the eclipse path?

The moon’s shadow will cut a diagonal line from southwest to northeast across North America, briefly plunging communities along the track into darkness. Totality will enter the continent at Mazatlan, Mexico, and exit at Newfoundland in Canada. Meanwhile, 15 US states from Texas to Maine will experience totality, including bits of Tennessee and Michigan. It will repeat for Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and Carbondale, Illinois, which were also well positioned for the 2017 total solar eclipse.

What about the weather on April 8?

Those hoping to see Monday’s total solar eclipse may see the sun obscured by clouds rather than the moon.

There is still plenty of time for forecasts to change, but meteorologists predict that eclipse-day storms could cover parts of the path, which stretches from Mexico and Texas through Maine and parts of Canada.

Clouds are expected in much of Monday’s eclipse path thanks to storms moving across central US National Weather Service meteorologist Marc Chenard says the northeastern US has the best chance for clear skies. currently, along with parts of Arkansas, Missouri and Illinois.

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Canada may also have only light cloud cover that will not significantly affect the view. Higher, thinner clouds should allow eclipse-goers to catch a glimpse of the sun, while lower, thicker clouds may obscure the view completely.

Parts of Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and Texas are suspect. Chenard, Northeast Texas, says “it could go either way at this point.” Mexico may also have low to medium level cloud cover.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Weather Prediction Center will update the eclipse forecast daily through Monday. If it’s cloudy or raining, you can still watch the live feed above.

What else can you see during the solar eclipse?

As a whole, you might be able to see a comet along with four planets, if you’re lucky. Jupiter will be to the left of the sun and Venus to the right. Saturn and Mars will be to the right of Venus, but faint. The other three planets of the solar system will be in the vicinity, but almost impossible to see with the naked eye. Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks is whizzing past Earth, as it does every 71 years. Still faint, it will be located near Jupiter during the eclipse. But it will take a sudden explosion of dust and gas to see this so-called devil comet without a telescope, according to Anita Cochran of the University of Texas at Austin. But don’t waste time looking for it. “There is a lot to see and not a long time,” he said by email.

When is the next one?

After Monday, the next total solar eclipse won’t happen until 2026. But it will graze the top of the world, dipping into Greenland, Iceland and Spain. The next one in 2027 will march across Spain and northern Africa, with totality lasting an incredible 6 1/2 minutes. North America will have to wait until 2033 for another solar eclipse, but it will be limited to Alaska. In 2044, Western Canada, Montana and North Dakota will have front row seats. And in 2045, the United States will once again experience a coast-to-coast total solar eclipse.

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