If you missed the North American solar eclipse in 2017, another chance to witness this astronomical wonder is just around the corner. On the afternoon of Monday, April 8, a total solar eclipse will cut a swath of twilight across the United States from South Texas northeast to Maine.
“If Floridians want to view the eclipse in totality, the nearest state is Texas, but don’t let that discourage you,” says Hannah Sparkes, planetarium assistant at Bishop Museum of Science and Nature in Bradenton. “Parts of Florida will experience as much as 40% to 60% occlusion—the shadow of the moon blocking this percentage of the sun. Even in South Florida, they will be able to see the effects with the proper safety measures.”
Safety First
Safety when viewing an eclipse is crucial, and there are several ways to protect your eyes from damage.
“You must protect your vision if you plan on looking directly at the sun during an eclipse,” Hannah says. “Just a few seconds of its intense light—even when the sun is partially obscured—can result in serious damage to your retina.”
If you don’t have specially designed solar viewing glasses, you can make an eclipse viewer using a piece of paper with a small pinhole to project the changing shape of the sun as the moon passes in front of it.
“Actually, this works with anything that has small holes in it, like a colander, an index card with a hole punched through it or even loosely overlapped fingers,” says Jose Cotayo, education specialist at the Museum of Science and Industry in Tampa. “Stand with your back facing away from the sun and remember you’re using the hole to project the image onto another surface, not as something to look through.”
Through solar viewing glasses, the eclipse will look like someone has taken a bite out of the sun as the moon’s shadow passes over it. The projected images, whether from a pinhole projector or other device, will be crescent-shaped.
There are two types of solar eclipses. A total eclipse results when the moon’s shadow completely covers the sun. An annular eclipse occurs when the moon’s shadow obscures all but the sun’s outer edge, making it look like a bright ring in the sky for a few moments.
“This upcoming solar eclipse is important for several reasons,” Jose says. “First, it is the second total solar eclipse to cross North America in the past seven years. Second, it will be seen by tens of millions of people. Third, for us in the contiguous United States, it will be the last total solar eclipse to cross our continent until August 12, 2045.”
The width of the path of totality of this year’s total eclipse will be wider than in 2017 because the moon is closer to Earth this time. It will take longer for the moon’s shadow to pass in front of the sun, and totality will last a bit longer.
The path of totality will cover three countries, starting in Mexico, traveling across Texas and continuing northeast through nearly a dozen states plus parts of several Canadian provinces.
In the weeks leading up to the April 8 event, Bishop Museum of Science and Nature has offered live planetarium shows about the eclipse and updates to its social media at @BishopScienceFL.
Catch the Eclipse
The Museum of Science and Industry in Tampa will celebrate the eclipse with the following events April 8:
- Sun-safe telescopes. Experts will be available from 1:30 to 4 p.m.
- Livestreams from various locations across the country.
- Hands-on activities in the Ritual Observatory.
- Eclipse glasses will be on sale for $5, or you can bring your own.
- The event is included with museum admission.
For more information, visit Bishop Museum of Science and Nature in Bradenton at bishopscience.org and Museum of Science and Industry in Tampa at www.mosi.org. For general information, maps and specific eclipse information, visit greatamericaneclipse.com. To find the times for a specific city, go to eclipse2024.org/eclipse_cities.