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North America is on the verge of being covered by the sun again. Monday’s total solar eclipse will hit the Pacific coast of Mexico and cross Texas and 14 other US states before exiting Canada. It will last almost twice as long with a wider audience than the total solar eclipse that spanned coast to coast in the US in 2017.
The moon will cover the sun for 4 minutes, 28 seconds. This scene is usually visible in remote corners of the world, but this time it will pass over major cities like Dallas, Indianapolis and Cleveland. An estimated 44 million people live within the path of totality, with a few hundred million living within 200 miles (320 kilometers), guaranteeing the continent’s largest eclipse crowd ever.
Practically everyone on the continent will see a partial eclipse. You can also watch the whole thing online. NASA is offering several hours of online streaming from several cities in the path of totality. Associated Press Watch will bring live coverage of the parties and festivities.
And don’t forget your special glasses to view the eclipse safely.
Of course, it all depends on the weather. The National Weather Service is providing daily updates of its cloud cover forecasts along the way.
Here’s more to know about Monday’s divine showstopper:
What is a total solar eclipse?
At noon the Moon will come in a completely straight line between the Earth and the Sun, blocking the Sun’s light. The total eclipse will last longer than usual because the moon will be only 223,000 miles (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 especially long and intense periods of Sun-blocking darkness. Totality will remain over Mexico for the longest period of time, 4 minutes, 28 seconds. Elsewhere along the track, such as in Syracuse, New York, totality will last only 1 1/2 minutes.
What is the eclipse path?
The moon’s shadow will cut a diagonal line across North America from southwest to northeast, briefly plunging communities along the track into darkness. Totality will enter the continent at Mazatlan, Mexico and exit Newfoundland in Canada. Meanwhile, 15 US states from Texas to Maine will experience totality, including pieces of Tennessee and Michigan. This will be a repeat for Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and Carbondale, Illinois, which were also in prime locations for the 2017 total solar eclipse.
A comet during an eclipse?
During totality, if you’re lucky, you may even see a comet with four planets. Jupiter will be on the left side of the Sun and Venus on the right. Saturn and Mars will be to the right of Venus, but weaker. Three other planets of the solar system will be around it, but they are almost impossible to see with the naked eye. Comet 12P/Ponce-Brookes is passing by Earth, as it does every 71 years. Still faint during the eclipse, it will be located near Jupiter. But according to Anita Cochran of the University of Texas at Austin, this so-called devil comet would require a sudden explosion of dust and gas to be seen without a telescope. But don’t waste time looking for it. “There’s so much to see and not so much time,” she said via email.
Last total solar eclipse in America?
The US has not experienced a total solar eclipse since August 21, 2017, although the “Ring of Fire” solar eclipse passed over a portion of the country last October. The moon was then too far from the Sun to be completely obscured, leaving a bright, glowing ring around our star. The dramatic “ring of fire” stretched from Oregon to Texas, and crossed Central America and Colombia before exiting Brazil. Kerrville, Texas, just west of San Antonio, is in trouble again and hoping for another packed house.
When is the next one?
After Monday, the next total solar eclipse will not occur until 2026. But it will engulf the top half of the globe, sinking Greenland, Iceland and Spain. The next march in 2027 will take place in Spain and North Africa, lasting an incredible 6 1/2 minutes. North Americans will have to wait until 2033 for another total 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 US will once again experience a coast-to-coast total solar eclipse.
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