Back in 2017, some residents in the United States were treated to a total solar eclipse. This astronomical phenomenon caused excitement for many. However, there was a large swath of the population that was not in the path of totality to view the eclipse in all of its splendor. With another solar eclipse coming to the US in 2024, will you be prepared for its arrival?
Understanding Eclipses
An eclipse is a moment in time where the sun is obscured from sight by the moon. We call this a “rare” event, due to a number of factors. Yes, solar eclipses technically do happen more often that you may think, but their positioning isn’t often accessible.
The real issue comes down to the path that the eclipse travels. Due to the rotations of the earth and the moon, solar eclipses are often hard to access without traveling thousands of miles. Sometimes they are only observable in small areas for a very short period of time or they’re in rural parts of the world that are harder to access or plan a trip to! The path that a total solar eclipse travels is called the “path of totality.” This is the area where a person can observe the sun completely shrouded by a full moon. But, if you’re in the US, Canada, or Mexico, we all might be able to experience a toll solar eclipse right in our backyards in 2024.
An Event Worth Watching
An eclipse is a singularly unique event. We highly recommend that you take time to view the 2024 solar eclipse, which will take place on April 8, 2024. Because astronomers are able to track the movement of the earth and the moon, they can determine the cycles of eclipses that will come in the future. As such, scientists know the exact path an eclipse will take, how long it can be observed in a given area, and when it will disappear from view. Pretty amazing!
If you’re hoping to catch a glimpse during the spring of 2024, here are some details that you should know.
Date and time:
The full solar eclipse will begin at 12:38 PM Eastern Standard Time and will cease at 3:55 PM EST on the same day.
Duration:
Maximum eclipse viewing will take place near the city of Nazas, Durango in Mexico. Residents there will be able to view the 2024 solar eclipse for a total of 4 minutes and 29 seconds. Other cities in North America will also have the ability to see the total eclipse if they are in the path of totality.
Locations:
The path of totality will pass through the following states in order of appearance:
- Texas
- Oklahoma
- Arkansas
- Missouri
- Illinois
- Kentucky
- Indiana
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- New York
- Vermont
- New Hampshire
- Maine
To see the exact area of path and times of totality in each state, click here to use a helpful tracker and map put together by NASA.
Watch the Eclipse Safely
Although it may be tempting to look directly at a solar eclipse during the partial phases, it’s important to note that doing so isn’t advisable.
Thankfully, you can safely view a solar eclipse by using a pair of certified eclipse glasses. These special glasses filter out solar radiation and allow you to view an eclipse in complete safety. At Rainbow Symphony, we offer several types of glasses, and each will allow you to view the 2024 solar eclipse without harming your eyes. We even have eclipse glasses that fit over the top of your current glasses to ensure that you can have the most vivid view possible.
Our eclipse glasses are USA made, trusted by NASA and AAS, and certified to meet ISO standard 12312-2:2015. They’re also "CE" Certified, meeting standards for transmission for scale 12-16 of EN 169/1992 for safe solar viewing. Rainbow Symphony’s eclipse sunglasses meet the 2012 Transmission Requirements of EN 1836:2005 and AS/NZS 1338.1:1992 for eclipse filters (Queensland Directive). And our specialty lenses have scratch-resistant materials with grade-five optical density, guaranteeing protection from solar radiation. “Black Polymer” blocks out 100% of ultraviolet light, infrared light, and 99.999% of intense visible light, and the filters on the lenses produce orange-colored imagery of the sun, with sharper detail and imagery.
Don’t wait until April 8, 2024 to get your eclipse gear ready! Contact us today at Rainbow Symphony and we’ll be glad to answer all of your eclipse-related questions.
