A total solar eclipse (known as surya grahan in Hindi) is set to take place on April 8, 2024. The eclipse will take place at the Moon's ascending node on Monday. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is larger than the Sun's, blocking all direct sunlight and turning day into darkness. The totality occurs only in a narrow path across the Earth's surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometres wide. Lunar Eclipse 2024 Date Falls on Holi: Will Holi Chandra Grahan Be Visible in India? Know the Exact Date, Time, Visibility and Other Details.

Surya Grahan 2024 Visible in India

It's expected to be a highly anticipated event for skywatchers and astronomers alike. The path of totality for the April 8, 2024, eclipse will cross through parts of North America, including Mexico, the United States, and Canada. Hence, it will be visible in several countries, including Canada, the United States, Mexico, and certain parts of North America. However, as per reports, this celestial event will unfortunately not be visible in India.

Surya Grahan 2024 Date and Time

On April 8, the total solar eclipse is predicted to last between 3-4 minutes in the path of totality. The total solar eclipse will start over the South Pacific and reach Mexico's Pacific coast at approximately 11:07 am Pacific Time which is 12:37 am IST. It will then traverse the United States through states like Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and more.

Total Solar Eclipse Path

  1. The total solar eclipse will cross North America, passing over Mexico, the United States, and Canada. The total solar eclipse will begin over the South Pacific Ocean. The first location in continental North America that will experience totality is Mexico’s Pacific coast at around 11:07 a.m. PDT, as per details by NASA.

  2. The path of the eclipse continues from Mexico, entering the United States in Texas, and travelling through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. Small parts of Tennessee and Michigan will also experience the total solar eclipse.

  3. The eclipse will enter Canada in Southern Ontario, and continue through Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Cape Breton. The eclipse will exit continental North America on the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland, Canada, at 5:16 p.m. NDT.

The total solar eclipse will be the first total solar eclipse to be visible in the provinces of Canada since February 26, 1979, the first in Mexico since July 11, 1991, and the first in the U.S. since August 21, 2017. It will be the only total solar eclipse in the 21st century, where totality will be visible in Mexico, the United States, and Canada. It will also be the last total solar eclipse visible in the Contiguous United States until August 23, 2044. The final solar eclipse of the year will occur six months later, on October 2, 2024.

The totality of the solar eclipse will be visible in a narrow strip on the Pacific Ocean, passing 200 nm north of the Marquesas Islands and later in North America, beginning at the Pacific coast, then ascending in a northeasterly direction through Mexico, the United States, and Canada, before ending in the Atlantic Ocean.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 19, 2024 11:01 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).