You may have heard that a very cool total solar eclipse is about to happen, and you shouldn’t miss it because they are rare.
But how rare is it?
A total solar eclipse, in which the moon passes between the sun and the Earth and completely blocks the sun for a few minutes or so, is visible somewhere on Earth once every 18 months on average. But more than 70% of the Earth’s surface is ocean, so observations from convenient viewing locations (land) are much rarer. Even rarer is living where the event happened – meaning you don’t need to travel hundreds of miles or even to another continent to watch it.
“It’s a rare opportunity to see you.”
“It’s rare,” Richard Fienberg, astronomer and senior advisor to the American Astronomical Society, told Mashable.
You should buy solar eclipse glasses immediately. Here’s how to find the legitimate ones.
How often does a total solar eclipse occur?
When the moon completely blocks the sun, it casts a shadow on Earth. As this shadow moves, it creates a “global path,” which is a relatively narrow band that sweeps across the surface. Anyone standing within this path will see the total solar eclipse (weather and clouds permitting). On April 8, 2024, the eclipse will be 115 miles wide.
Crucially, total solar eclipses are rarely experienced at any given location on Earth.
“On average, the time between two total solar eclipses in the same location is about 375 years. But sometimes it can be longer!” NASA explains.
Mix and match speed of light
(There are other types of solar eclipses that occur, such as partial or annular solar eclipses, but these are completely different from total solar eclipses, in which the sun’s ghostly corona is revealed. “Seeing a partial solar eclipse has the same relationship as seeing a total solar eclipse” by Anne Annie Dillard writes in her article “Whole Foods,” a poignant story about experiencing whole foods in Washington state.)
The path of the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024.
Image source: NASA Scientific Visualization Studio
Total solar eclipse as seen from the International Space Station.
Image source: French National Center for Space Research
For this reason, avid eclipse watchers (sometimes called “eclipse chasers”) chase the shadows of a total solar eclipse wherever they fall, usually over the sea. Total solar eclipses occur approximately once every two years.
“That’s why most of the solar eclipses I’ve seen have been on cruise ships,” said Feberg, who will watch the upcoming eclipse on April 8, 2024, which will be his 15th experience.
So if there was one on land, and in a location that was easily accessible, that would be an exciting opportunity. This is almost certainly the only opportunity for millions of people to experience whole foods at home. For example, after the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024 (a long path across the northeastern United States), the lower 48 states will not experience another such total solar eclipse for more than 20 years, until August 23, 2044 . It will sweep across a small portion of the United States before heading north through Canada and into the Arctic. (But by 2045, another storm will sweep across large swaths of the country.)
“It’s not just something you see. It’s something you feel.”
Experiencing a total eclipse is a poignant experience as you see the Sun’s corona, the world goes dark, and animals start acting strangely. That’s why Feberg encourages anyone who lives on or near the road to check it out. Speaking from personal experience, if you have the chance, it’s worth even traveling long distances to see the unique wonders of space. Make it a trip.
“It’s not just something you see. It’s something you feel,” Feberg said.
This article has been updated to include more information about the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024.
