Rafael Bachiller

Updated Saturday, April 6, 2024-17:11

On Monday, April 8, a solar eclipse will take place that will be visible as a total from highly inhabited areas of North America, which is why it has come to be called "the Great American Eclipse." From Spain it will only be seen from the westernmost Canary Islands and the extreme northwest of Galicia, as partial, with very low magnitude and only for brief moments as the Sun goes to bed.

From Spain

The Earth, the new Moon and the Sun will be in a straight line at dusk on April 8 (Peninsular time). In astronomical terms, this is number 30 of the 71 eclipses that make up the Saros 139 cycle, a total eclipse that, however, from Spain we will only see as partial and in conditions very far from optimal.

Only from the westernmost Canary Islands and from the extreme northwest of Galicia can some of the eclipse be observed, as it will occur as the Sun sets. For example, in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the eclipse will begin at 8:17 p.m., but the sunset of the Sol will occur at 8:27 p.m. (official Canary Islands time), so you will only be able to enjoy the initial 20 minutes of the phenomenon; The maximum that will take place at 9:02 p.m. will already happen with the Sun below the horizon.

From La Coruña we will be in even more unfavorable conditions: the eclipse will begin at 9:01 p.m. and the Sun will go to bed at 9:09 p.m. (peninsular time). That is, only a small 'bite' can be observed in the Sun and at sunset.

Eclipse at sunsetOAN/RB

The attached illustration shows the eclipse at the moment the Sun sets (point with the largest visible eclipsed surface) in Santa Cruz de Tenerife and La Coruña. The sequence of the eclipse in each provincial capital has been calculated by the National Astronomical Observatory (IGN) and can be consulted at this link.

A massive show in Mexico and North America

The eclipse will be seen as partial from most of Central America and North America. It will begin at 15h42m (Universal Time, UT) in a wide strip of the Pacific centered at 15 degrees south latitude and will end at 20h52m in an area of ​​the Atlantic centered at 40 degrees north latitude (touching the western area of ​​the Canary Islands and Galicia, as We have seen). The total duration of the phenomenon will exceed 5 hours.

The eclipse will be seen as total, and will be spectacular, in a narrow strip that extends from the north of Penryn Atoll (New Zealand), where it will begin at 16h38m (UT), to continue through the Pacific, the Mexican states of Sinaloa , Durango and Coahuila, entering the United States through Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, it will then cross Canada through the south of Quebec, Principe Island Eduardo and Saint Pierre and Miquelon. This strip ends at a point in the Atlantic north of the Azores, where the eclipse will end at 7:55 p.m. (UT).

Eclipse of April 8, 2024OAN (IGN)

The maximum of the total eclipse will occur north of Nazan (Mexico) at 18h17m (UT), there the totality will last 4 minutes and 28 seconds and the width of the shadow will be 197 kilometers

Although somewhat shorter in duration, the total eclipse will be seen from large cities such as Dallas (where it will last 4 min 10 s), Austin, Indianapolis, Cleveland, Buffalo, Rochester or Montreal (1 min 58 s); In the US alone about 32 million people live in the zone of totality. Other large metropolitan areas such as St. Louis, Detroit, New York, Philadelphia and Washington are within relatively short distances, so there will be many people who will be attracted to the totality. There is no doubt that the eclipse will be a massive phenomenon that poses great challenges for mobility and security, but that will also leave us with many unforgettable images.

Trio of Spanish eclipses 2026-2028

In Spain the last truly interesting solar eclipse was the annular one that took place in 2005. In 1959 a total one could be enjoyed from the Canary Islands, but a total one has not been seen from the Peninsula since 1912.

Eclipse of August 12, 2026FAAE

This shortage of eclipses that we have been suffering in our country will be compensated with three magnificent eclipses that will take place in 2026, 2027 and 2028. Specifically, on August 12, 2026 a total solar eclipse can be observed from a strip that extends from Galicia to the Balearic Islands. This will be followed by two other extremely interesting eclipses that will be observable from the south of the Peninsula: on August 2, 2027 we will be able to see a total one and on January 26, 2028 an annular one will take place. In this way, Spain during those three years will become the privileged destination for eclipse hunters.

Precautions

Observing the Sun always entails serious risks, since its great luminosity can damage the eyes. As a general rule: you should never observe the Sun directly, neither with the naked eye, nor with any device, nor with any filter that is not intended for that purpose. This is true both for the Sun without eclipse, and for the Sun during the eclipse. You should only look at the Sun directly if you have an approved filter or 'eclipse glasses' that must be approved by the European Community for solar observation (opacity index 5 or greater) and must be used following the printed instructions in them.

The Sun can also be observed safely by seeing its image projected on some type of screen located in the shade. For example, the image obtained on a wall or ceiling with a small flat mirror covered entirely with paper in which a hole less than 1 cm in diameter has been cut. You do not have to observe the image of the Sun in the mirror, you only have to look at the projected image.

Rafael Bachiller is director of the

National Astronomical Observatory

(National Geographic Institute) and an academic at the

Royal Academy of Doctors of Spain

.