Monday’s Celestial Show Is More Than Just An Ordinary Eclipse

Folks across much of North America will have an opportunity to witness a total eclipse of the sun on Monday … but there’s a lot more to this event than just a few minutes of daytime darkness.

So if you’re thinking about taking a personal day in order to get a glimpse of this rare sight, here’s a quick rundown of why it’s going to be such a significant experience.

• The next chance is decades away: While eclipses aren’t all that uncommon around the world, the United States isn’t scheduled to be in the path of a total solar eclipse until 2044.
• This is an opportunity of a lifetime: Even when Americans do have a chance to see such eclipses, they’re rarely this long. The darkness is set to last 4+ minutes, which is longer than any U.S. eclipse in a century.
• There’s more to see than you think: While (properly protected) eyes will be looking for the eclipse, two planets — Jupiter and Venus — as well as the so-called “Devil comet,” which only shows up every 71 years, will also be visible.
• The sun will be having its own show: Although the moon might be the star of the show, there are also major eruptions, known as solar maximum, taking place on the surface of the sun.

Now you have a better understanding of why so many folks are getting pretty excited about the eclipse. Tens of thousands of flights are being booked by eclipse chasers and many schools along the path of totality will either be closed or have early dismissal so kids can check out the impressive sight.

And if you can’t see it in person, you can at least visit Space.com starting at 1 p.m. Eastern for a livestream of the eclipse.

Chris Agee April 5th, 2024

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