As Earth orbits the sun, gifting us 365 days to a year, the moon orbits a different plane. But, very rarely, the moon will pass between Earth and the sun, casting a shadow on Earth that fully blocks the sun’s light. This is known as a total solar eclipse. The sun, moon, and Earth being in this conjunction or opposition is known as syzygy.
This Monday, April 8th, 2024, was a total solar eclipse. This solar eclipse was considered a rare occurrence, as NASA predicts total eclipses occur once every hundred years. But wasn’t there a total solar eclipse about 7 years ago? Yes, the last total solar eclipse was in 2017, and before that was in 1979. So, we should consider ourselves lucky to see two in one lifetime.
This solar eclipse could be seen from Texas to Maine. In Pennsylvania, the best time to look up (with the proper eyewear) was at 3:18 p.m. EDT. Those who live in what is being called, “The path of totality”, had the best view of this solar eclipse and experienced total darkness. The rest of us saw a partial eclipse.
References: www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2024/04/04/solar-eclipse-totality-maps-path-explained/
