- Thursday, May 16, 2024
It will be 21 years before North America experiences another coast-to-coast total solar eclipse.
By: Shubham Ghosh
PEOPLE are eagerly securing prime viewing locations across the US, Canada and Mexico to witness an uncommon total solar eclipse on Monday (8), though apprehensions over cloudy weather forecasts could dampen the spirit of some enthusiastic spectators.
This extraordinary event occurs when the moon impeccably aligns itself between the Earth and the sun, resulting in the temporary obscuration of sunlight.
It will be 21 years before North America experiences another coast-to-coast total solar eclipse, prompting millions of individuals throughout the region to embark on journeys to observe the celestial spectacle firsthand.
The trajectory of the moon’s shadow, known as the path of totality, spans around 115 miles (185km) wide for Monday’s eclipse. It will traverse 15 states in the US in a north-eastward direction, stretching from Texas to Maine, for approximately an hour. The event commences at 1:30 pm CT and concludes around 3:35 pm ET.
Among the eager spectators is Jorge Martinez, residing outside Dallas in Mesquite. He intends to “witness history” alongside his wife and their three-year-old daughter, Nati, from the comfort of their home, AP reported.
“Hopefully, she’ll remember. She’s excited, too,” he was quoted as saying by AP.
Near Ennis, Texas, to the south, the Range Vintage Trailer Resort experienced a rise in occupancy, having sold out of spots over a year ago.
“I booked it instantly, then I told my wife, ‘We’re going to Texas,’” Chris Lomas told the news outlet from the resort on Sunday (7). Even if clouds obscure the event, “it will still go dark. It’s just about sharing the experience with other people,” he added.
Michael Zeiler, an eclipse matchmaker, has witnessed 11 solar eclipses, and even changed locations at the last minute for better weather.
“We are the complete opposite of tornado chasers, always seeking clear skies,” Zeiler told AP in an email over the weekend.
On Monday, he will stay in Fredericksburg, Texas, with his family of 10 holding on to “a considerable ray of hope” for good weather.
More than 31 million people, nearly three times more than those who witnessed the solar eclipse of 2017, live in the path of totality this time. It will be longer and wider this time than almost every total eclipse that has taken place before, since the moon is closer to the earth and casts a bigger shadow.
According to the latest forecast from the National Weather Service, clouds are predicted along much of the eclipse route throughout the US, with potential patches of clear skies in select areas. The most favourable conditions for witnessing the eclipse are anticipated in northern New England through to Canada.
Texas is expected to have the heaviest cloud cover while severe weather is forecast for around eclipse time in some of its parts.
Weather expert Jay Anderson told AP that the eclipse could be visible from Dallas to Columbus through thin, high clouds.
“Not the best conditions but tolerable,” Anderson, a retired Canadian meteorologist, told AP.
(With agency inputs)
