How to watch and record the total eclipse on Monday

On April 8 a Solar eclipse The sky will darken. This is a rare astronomical event: the last total solar eclipse in North America was on August 21, 2017, and there won't be another visible on the continent until 2044. The path of the total eclipse – in which the sun will be completely obscured by the sun and moon – covers more than 30 million people in United States, Canada and Mexico.

These lucky people may see the sun's corona and the “diamond ring” – both dramatic sights. Other areas will witness a partial eclipse, and the level depends on how close you are to the total eclipse. Watching the moon eat into the sun, even just a little, is still an amazing sight.

So, which cities and regions will witness the total eclipse, and when? What is the weather forecast in those areas? If you have a clear vision, how can you safely watch and record the event?

Where will you see a total solar eclipse in the United States, and when?

The good news is that many of the major centers are within a total of 100 miles, so millions of people will be able to see the complete solar eclipse. It follows a northeasterly path, so Mexico's Pacific coast will get its first views of Mazatlán starting around 10:57 a.m. PT (total eclipse begins at 12:07 PT), followed by the city of Torreon (all times local time ).

The total eclipse moves into the United States at 12:10 PM CST (Eagle Pass, Texas), and then hits Austin, Fort Worth, and Dallas, three of the five most populous cities in Texas. From there, it moves to Little Rock, Arkansas, followed by select parts of Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana (including Indianapolis).

The Ohio cities of Dayton, Toledo and Cleveland get the full supply, followed by Erie, Pennsylvania, then Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse in New York along with Maine. Canada is in for a treat too, with parts of southern Ontario (Hamilton and Niagara Falls) and Quebec (Montreal) getting a total eclipse, along with New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and finally Bonavista and Labrador at 4:03pm EST (Newfoundland time). . .

If you are in another part of the continent and cannot travel, know that the closer you are to the band of total eclipse, the more the moon will block the sun (This map Shows how much eclipse you'll get depending on where you are on the continent).

There's an impressive list of major centers within 200 miles of totality, so they'll get a 90 percent eclipse or better (Houston, St. Louis, Memphis, Nashville, Chicago, Cincinnati, Detroit, Toronto, New York, Boston).

Anyone in the southern, central, and northeastern United States should get a decent view, as should people in southeastern Canada and the Atlantic coast. Even if you're not in those areas, you may still be able to see (and catch) a small eclipse.

How long will the 2024 solar eclipse last?

From the beginning when the Moon first begins covering the Sun (partial eclipse) to the end when the two bodies separate is a good long time — up to 2 hours and forty minutes in Dallas, and 2:18 in Cariboo, Maine.

However, the kidney itself is short, with the duration depending on how close you are to the center of the kidney range and the time of day. It takes just under four minutes in Dallas, less than three minutes in Presque Isle, Maine, and just 1 minute and 12 seconds in Montreal. As such, you'll need to be prepared and hope the skies are clear during that short window.

What is the weather forecast in my area?

It's still too early to get an accurate forecast, but a week is enough to get a general idea by region. Suffice it to say, April is not the ideal month for clear skies. However, the eclipse can still be seen through light cloud cover, and even if it is thick, the sky will darken significantly.

Unfortunately, the chances of rain are really low above average across most of the eclipse range. Forecasts predict that the chances of clear skies are better the further you live in the Northeast, which is the opposite of historical trends.

It's worth noting that Dallas has a forecast of rain throughout the day (58 percent), which means continued cloud cover and no clear visibility if that continues. This improves a bit as you reach Indianapolis (partly cloudy, 24 percent chance of rain), with things remaining better in Buffalo, New York (partly cloudy, 11 percent).

Things are looking good right now in Montreal, with mostly sunny skies and only a 9 percent chance of rain, and the same goes for Fredericton, New Brunswick.

Niagara Falls is also expected to have decent weather during the eclipse (mostly sunny, 18 percent) on its way to totality, leading to the city announcing Emergency Out of caution. Officials estimate as many as 1 million people could flock to the area, potentially creating dangerous crowds.

How can I watch a solar eclipse at home?

Obviously, staring at the sun is dangerous to your vision, and doing so during an eclipse can be just as harmful. Although you may not feel discomfort right away, you may be damaging your eyes through a disease called Solar retinopathy. This can lead to serious consequences such as eye pain, blind spots, blurred vision, and more.

To view it safely, you should purchase a pair of solar eclipse glasses certified based on the international safety standard called Solar Eclipse Glasses ISO 12312-2 (Regular sunglasses won't do.) This determines the maximum light transmittance, along with the permissible wavelength transmittance range (UVA, UVB, infrared).

There's definitely still time to get a pair if you don't already have one. the American Astronomical SocietyThe AAS has many recommendations for manufacturers and sellers, both online and in retail chains.

Warby Parker, for example, is offering free glasses (limit two per person while supplies last). You can also find them at Staples, Lowes, and Walmart, or online at B&H and many science and astronomy stores.

The AAS advises against searching for the lowest price on Amazon or eBay, in case you get a bad result. “Before purchasing a solar projector or filter online, we recommend making sure you (1) identify the seller on the site and (2) list the seller on This page,” she says on her Solar Eclipse Across America website.

How to watch a solar eclipse safely without glasses

It is possible to view the eclipse without glasses via indirect means as well. The simplest method is by punching a small circular hole in a piece of thick paper or cardboard, then positioning it so that the sun shines through the hole onto the ground or a flat surface (you can also attach a piece of aluminum foil to the hole, NASA appears here). This will display an image of the sun's disk, allowing you to see the eclipse in real time.

The same pinhole principle will allow you to use anything with punched holes, such as a strainer, creating dozens of tiny eclipses on the surface. Trees can do the same thing, casting strange leaf shadows with bits of solar eclipse.

For a slightly better experience, you can create a raw box projector. So, the sun shines through a hole in the foil onto a white card, and you can look through a larger hole at the card, with the sun behind you. CSA explains Exactly how to do it.

Never watch the eclipse directly through binoculars or a telescope, as this is a guaranteed way to damage your eyes. However, you can use a pair of binoculars or a telescope to do this project The sun is on a piece of paper, as shown in the picture this video.

How to take photos or video of a solar eclipse

Unfortunately, you can't point your smartphone or camera at the sun to record the eclipse, because the brightness will overwhelm the sensor and ruin the image (and possibly damage the sensor). Fortunately, you can protect your camera just like you do your eyes.

The cheapest way to do this is to buy an extra set of eclipse glasses, then cut an eyepiece from one of them and stick it onto the lens of your smartphone (or other camera). This will reduce light levels enough to see detail in the sun throughout the partial eclipse and totality.

You can also buy solar filters made for smartphones such as VisiSolar photo filterWhich is designed for cameras, not for direct viewing. Another option is Sudden solar eclipse application Kit, which also offers an app that helps photograph solar eclipses. It is also recommended to wear sunglasses when setting up your smartphone or camera to protect your eyes.

If you're photographing the eclipse with a dedicated mirrorless or DSLR camera, this will do Need Either Mylar, 16 stops ND (neutral density) or hydrogen alpha solar filter. Again, do not look directly into the optical viewfinder of a DSLR in the sun if the lens is not attached to one of these filters (the electronic viewfinder on a mirrorless camera is safe).

To photograph the eclipse with a smartphone, turn off the flash and put the camera in ultra-wide or wide mode so it stays in the frame. Do not look directly at the sun to line up the camera if you are not wearing solar eclipse glasses.

Do not use digital zoom to try to zoom in on the eclipse, as you will lose resolution (you can zoom in later in your photo editing application). Once the sun is in focus, use your smartphone's focus lock feature so you're not “hunting” for focus and causing eclipse blur.

During macro shooting, the “diamond ring” effect only lasts for a fraction of a second, so use your camera's burst mode or you'll likely miss the shot. And try to capture RAW images (instead of JPEG) to preserve as much detail as possible for editing later. Some iPhone and Android smartphones have built-in RAW capability, and if not, you can use a third-party app.

If you decide to take video, you'll need a filter as well, of course. But you should also use a tripod, as shooting handheld will blur the image and cause shaky video. Even a Cheap tripod will do the trick, along with a Simple smartphone holder. Capture the highest possible resolution (4K or even 8K) with the highest possible quality. You'll also capture any cheering, screaming, etc. – a valuable memento you can look back on again and again.

More resources

There are plenty of government and private websites with more information about the eclipse, starting with Eclipse website AASdetails things like eye safety, photography, resources and even Total application – “Interactive map showing what you will see anywhere in North America during the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024.”

NASA also offers a website dedicated to North American eclipseas he does National Weather Service And National Solar Observatory. A special site called The Great American Eclipse It is largely commercial, but has a very useful map showing the extent of the total eclipse and how much of the eclipse you will see depending on location, as well as a comprehensive list of eclipse times and durations. Depending on the city.

Update, April 5, 12:30 PM ET: This story was updated after publication to include more details about the total path of the solar eclipse.