Total Solar Eclipse Plunges Parts of Mexico into Darkness

A total solar eclipse crossing North America on Monday will darken skies along a path through Mexico, the United States and Canada. Totality will last up to 4 minutes, 28 seconds in certain spots.

The first location in continental North America to experience totality: Mexico’s Pacific coast.

The eclipse exits continental North America on the Atlantic coast of Canada less than two hours later.

Here’s the latest:

CHEERS IN MEXICO AS MOON BEGINS PASSING OVER SUN

MAZATLAN, Mexico – Cheers broke out along the beach in Mazatlan as the moon began to pass over the sun.

Hundreds in a beachside park had passed the waiting time by readying their equipment and listening to a youth orchestra play Star Wars songs while a large screen projected images of Princess Leia behind them.

Luz Elena Aguillón de la O sat in the grass with a group of 14 family and friends who had gathered from Mexico City, Guanajuato and right here in Mazatlan to take in the spectacle.

“Happy to be here with family, friends sharing a singular, unrepeatable event that the universe and nature give us,” she said.

A total solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, completely blocking the face of the Sun. People viewing the eclipse from locations where the Moon’s shadow completely covers the Sun, known as the path of totality, will experience a total solar eclipse. The sky will become dark, as if it were dawn or dusk.

Here are four intriguing facts about the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024:

1. The corona, the sun’s outer atmosphere, is typically invisible to the naked eye due to the intense brightness of the sun’s surface. However, during a total solar eclipse, when the moon completely blocks the sun’s visible surface, the corona becomes visible, providing researchers with a unique opportunity to study it.

2. Unlike other types of solar eclipses, during a total solar eclipse, viewers can safely remove their eclipse glasses when the moon fully obscures the sun. This is because a total solar eclipse is the only type where the sun’s visible surface is completely covered, allowing observers to witness the event without eye protection. It’s important to note that eclipse glasses are not the same as regular sunglasses and should be used accordingly.

Except during the brief period of totality in a total solar eclipse, when the Moon completely obscures the Sun’s bright face, it is unsafe to gaze directly at the Sun without proper eye protection designed for solar viewing.
Looking at any portion of the intensely bright Sun through a camera lens, binoculars, or a telescope without a specialized solar filter securely attached to the front of the optics can lead to immediate and severe eye damage.
During the phases of the solar eclipse when the Sun is only partially obscured, both before and after totality, it is essential to observe using safe solar viewing glasses, also known as “eclipse glasses,” or a handheld solar viewer. Alternatively, indirect viewing methods like a pinhole projector can be utilized for safe observation.

3.During a total solar eclipse, the sudden darkness can confuse wildlife. Nocturnal animals might wake up, mistaking it for nighttime, while diurnal animals may become disoriented, possibly thinking it’s time to rest. This phenomenon offers scientists a unique opportunity to study the behavior of various species during sudden changes in light.

4.Following the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, the next opportunity to witness a total solar eclipse from the United States won’t occur until August 23, 2044.

5.Stages of a total solar eclipse:

Observing a total solar eclipse offers a captivating journey through various stages, each marked by distinct phenomena and moments of awe. However, it’s crucial to remember that eclipse glasses should not be removed until the Moon has entirely obscured the Sun, entering the phase known as “totality.”

Partial Eclipse:
Initially, as the Moon begins its journey across the Sun’s surface, it doesn’t completely block its light, resulting in a crescent-shaped Sun. It’s like watching the Sun take a bite out of a giant cookie.This phase, known as the partial eclipse, typically lasts between 70 to 80 minutes. During this period, it’s imperative to wear eclipse glasses for eye safety. The start of this phase, when the Moon first “touches” the Sun, is termed the first contact.

Shadow Bands:
Shadow bands are long, rapidly moving dark bands separated by white spaces visible on surfaces like buildings or the ground just before and after totality.
These bands can be very faint and difficult to photograph.Earth’s upper atmosphere contains turbulent cells of air that distort the sharp-edged light from the solar surface, the same way it distorts starlight and causes stars to twinkle.

Baily’s Beads:
As the Moon progresses, light rays from the Sun shine through the valleys along the Moon’s edge, creating points of light known as Baily’s Beads, giving us a cosmic fashion show of bling. These are short-lived phenomena and may not be observable by all viewers.

Diamond Ring:
Baily’s Beads gradually fade until only a single bright spot remains along the edge of the Moon’s shadow, resembling a diamond ring. This bright spot resembles the diamond in a giant diamond ring formed by the rest of the Sun’s atmosphere. It marks the approach of totality, but eclipse glasses should still be worn.

Totality:
When the diamond ring disappears, and direct sunlight is completely blocked, viewers can safely remove their eclipse glasses to witness totality with the naked eye.This moment is also called second contact. This phase offers a rare opportunity to observe the solar chromosphere (a region of the solar atmosphere, appearing as the thin circle of pink around the Moon) and corona (the outer solar atmosphere, appearing as streams of white light). Stay vigilant and put your eclipse glasses on before totality ends. Totality may last only a minute or two in some locations.
Savor the moment and take some seconds to observe the world around you during totality. Many people have a deep emotional response when the Sun goes into totality.

Brightening Reappears:
As the Moon continues its journey across the face of the Sun, brightening will begin to occur on the opposite side from where the diamond ring shone at the beginning. The Sun’s lower atmosphere begins to emerge, signaling the end of totality. Eclipse glasses must be worn again before the first flash of sunlight appears around the edges of the Moon. This moment is called third contact.

Diamond Ring, Baily’s Beads, and Shadow Bands – Again:
Once your eyes are protected again, you may continue to watch the final stages of the eclipse as the end process mirrors the beginning: You will again see the diamond ring, Baily’s Beads, and shadow bands before the entire Sun is visible.

Fourth Contact:
The eclipse concludes at fourth contact when the Moon’s shadow no longer covers any part of the Sun.

Observing a total solar eclipse is a remarkable event that offers not only celestial wonders but also unique experiences of nature’s responses and human emotions.

Melissa Enoch ‎

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